Periwinkle
by FalteredGAIT
Summary: In order to promote Japan in the international basketball circuit, a new program seeks the best of the best basketball players. The catch? High-school teams only and a hefty money prize. The Generation of Miracles are back to claim their title as legends once more. GoM/Kuroko
1. Oleander

_**Periwinkle**_

* * *

**A/N: **I know I should be updating my Reborn stories first, but I've honestly lost all inspiration. Many of my old readers don't seem like they're sticking with me any further due to my albeit long hiatus. KuroBasu is my new love :D I'll get back to my other stories once I find motivation.

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**NOTE:** The title and chapter names are all names of flowers, which have their respective meanings. Periwinkle - 'Sweet remembrance'

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**_Disclaimer: _****Don't own, seriously. **

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**Chapter One: Oleander  
**

"Kagamicchi, could you let go of my Kurokocchi?"

"Since when was he yours!"

Kuroko sighed, prying the blond's arms off his torso. Though, a futile attempt it seemed to be."Kise-kun, could you let go of me?"

The said person was too busy having a glaring contest with Kagami, who, in an attempt to pull his shadow away from the model, almost dislocated Kuroko's arm. Kuroko winced. Kagami had certainly gotten much more powerful after the winter cup, but...

"Oi, stop it you morons."

Although it went unnoticed, Kuroko's eyes lit up a fraction brighter, as a familiar deep voice came to his rescue.

"Aominecchi, stay out of this." Kise whined, pouting as he let go of the blue-haired boy.

"You're gonna piss Tetsu off." Aomine said, glancing at his former partner, who was massaging his shoulder with his usual stoic expression.

Kagami raised a brow. "He looks the same."

Kise and Aomine knew better, knowing the boy for much longer than Kagami did. Kuroko looked up at Kise, staring at him with his usual deadpan expression. However, a tiny glint flashed in his eyes.

"Uwaah! sorry, Kurokocchi!" Kise cried, backing away.

Kuroko sighed, as he looked around to find somewhere to sit. They had come to a television studio. And as expected, there were lots of famous faces walking about in the lobby. Inside where they were currently standing in, was a makeshift set for a new television program.

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

Kuroko silently ate his bread as he watched the morning news. Tetsuya number two was lapping up a bowl of water, at the foot of the table.

There was nothing particularly interesting in today's morning news. As usual, they reported the weather, current economic status, various other politic related news and so on. The news went into a commercial break.

A male teenager shooting a basketball into a hoop came onto the screen, with a loud message following.

_All you high-energy youth out there! Do you love basketball?_

_If so, then open your ears! Here's a once in a lifetime chance for you to become nationally famous and represent our country internationally!  
_

_The Japanese National Basketball co-operation and channel XX have come together, to present to you... 'JNB: Generation of youth'!  
_

_A survival of the fittest, a competition between youth and youth only! Participation is-  
_

Kuroko glanced at the kitchen clock, noting that it was time for him to head out to make in time for morning practice. He switched off the TV before the advertisement finished, which, to be honest, he wanted to see the rest of.

But on second thought, he didn't want to be impaled by the coach for being late.

At morning practice, everyone was on the floor in pairs, taking turns to stretch. The peaceful session lasted only until their brunette coach came skipping into the gym, slamming the doors as wide as she could.

Everyone flinched. Riko was skipping.

"C-coach, did something good happen?" Koganei asked, taken aback by Riko's flowery aura.

Riko smiled like there was no tomorrow, as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. She unfolded it and held in front for all to see.

"I received this from the principal this morning!"

Everyone stared at the piece of paper, their eyes widening as they read each word.

"T-this is...!" Hyuuga gaped, adjusting his glasses as he read over the content once more.

Kuroko suddenly remembered, "Ah. The ad from this morning."

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

* * *

"Kurokocchi, do you want to go have lunch at a nearby burger joint?" Kise asked, as they walked out of the studio. He paused, "Vanilla shake. My treat."

"Okay." At the vanilla shake, Kuroko had no reason to decline.

Kise cheered inside, finally managing to be alone with the boy, despite having bribed him.

Five high school basketball teams were chosen and invited to the new television survival program hosted by the most watched channel and Japan's official basketball league. The winner of this years inter-high and the runner up of the winter cup, Rakuzan. The winner of the winter cup, Seirin. One of the top four in the winter cup and a finalist in the inter-high, Kaijo. Also one of the top four in the winter cup and finalist in the inter-high, Shutoku. And finally, a finalist in the winter cup and runner up of the inter-high, Touou.

Yosen had not been invited, but everyone was sure they would make it into the program, invited or not.

The five schools were invited by the program's producer's, as these five schools in particular were the latest buzz in the national high school basketball circuit. News of the Generation of Miracles had also reached their ears, further piquing their interest in these high school teams.

-which leads us to the current situation, where these five teams have been invited to channel XX's studio for an interview. Being sly as he was, Kise had taken off with Kuroko before anyone noticed where they had gone.

"But it was really unexpected." Kise said out of the blue, drinking his coke.

Kuroko looked up, holding his shake. "What was?"

Kise grinned. "Us. Who would've thought we'd be reunited again through a basketball survival program?"

Kuroko smiled, "Now you'll get even more popular, Kise-kun." he said, going back to his drink.

Kise swore he saw sparkles around the boy. He smiled in return. "I'm pretty sure it won't just be me."

"Is that so?"

Kise sighed, staring outside window as he put his face on his palm. "But talking about unexpected, I still can't believe you beat Akashicchi."

In the half-finals of the Winter cup, Seirin had beaten Kaijo once again, though just barely. In the finals, they faced Rakuzan. It was one of the hardest and most intense basketball game anyone had ever seen. Seirin won, 112-111. By the end of the game, barely anyone had enough strength to even stand for the final line-up.

"To be honest, I wasn't expecting to win that match. For me, beating Touou was enough."

Kise hummed, raising a brow. "Even Kurokocchi didn't see that coming."

Kuroko sipped his vanilla shake, staring at the drop of water on the table. He frowned, as he remembered what Akashi had said to him after the match.

_"My eyes weren't wrong after all. _

_You exceeded my expectations, Tetsuya. No doubt that you are strong.  
_

_But remember...I never lose, and I never will.  
_

_After all, you're just..."  
_

"Kurokocchi? Let's go, it's getting dark."

"Yes."

* * *

The clock struck twelve, and the old grandfather clock in the living room rung with deep resounding gongs. Kuroko rolled over onto his right side, pulling up the bed sheets further.

He closed his eyes, in hope of rest. However, Akashi's words after the finals that day rung through his head like a bell.

_Both teams passed by each other awkwardly as they left the locker rooms. Akashi and Kuroko walked furthest at the back of their teams, shoulders brushing as they both halted their steps. _

_"My eyes weren't wrong after all. You exceeded my expectations, Tetsuya. No doubt that you are strong. But remember...I never lose, and I never will. After all, you're just another me. Do not forget our oath, Tetsuya."_

No-one could've seen this development coming. Once again, the Generation of Miracles were all going to be gathered at the same place, at the same time. Something that many would've expected to happen once in their lifetime, and once only.

A storm was brewing. Kuroko could feel it in his veins.

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**A/N: **Oleander- 'Caution'

To be honest, I have no idea what this 'oath' could be. I had a few ideas, but the not-so happy expression on the GoM in chapter 113 completely wiped them out. Also, the winter cup winner? I was considering Rakuzan to be the winner, but for a few reasons Seirin won. Just to note, this story isn't dark and serious. It's quite the opposite actually.

Things will be a bit more clear in the next chapter. Please share your thoughts if you want to see a continuation, thanks!


	2. Dogwood

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Woo~ Fast update. ****Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to favourites/alert! I love you all~ Please make sure to read the A/N at the bottom of the page afterwards! **

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**__****Disclaimer****_: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

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**Chapter Two: Dogwood  
**

"Kuroko-kun, don't slow down!"

Said boy huffed and puffed, his already pale skin losing the rest of its' colour, as he tried to run at the same pace as the others much further up front. However, the birds in the trees seemed to be singing, 'futile~futile~'.

Riko looked at her watch, and flinched. The head teacher of the sports faculty wanted to speak to her at ten to twelve. It was already noon.

"Alright everyone, take a break and put on your jerseys!" She called out, much to the teams luck. She ran off at top speed, which everyone decided to ignore.

Kuroko thanked god and stopped running , trying to catch his breath as he turned around and walked back to the gym. He looked back, and the others were slowly coming back too.

Inside the locker room, everyone sat down and fanned themselves, wiping away the sweat with their towels. Kuroko sat down next to Izuki, drinking a bottle of pocari sweat.

"Come to think of it, today is the preliminaries for that program, right?" Izuki said, as he flipped through the latest basketball magazine.

"Yeah." Hyuuga took the magazine off him. "We were lucky to be invited by the producers, so we don't have to go through preliminaries." Koganei looked over his shoulder, reading the article about the new program they were going to be in.

Kuroko picked up his fallen towel, only to hear his message ring tone from his locker.

He flipped open his phone, noting that it was from Momoi.

_Tetsu-kun~ I just finished watching the first half of the preliminaries. _

_The teams that have qualified so far are Yosen, Shinsenkan, Kirisaki Daichi, Seiho and Fukuda Sougou.  
_

_They're all familiar names, right?  
_

_I'll contact you again later my darling! I need to go tell lazy Dai-chan now.  
_

Kuroko frowned, as he read the names of the teams that were participating in the program. They certainly were very familiar names. Kagami peered over curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a message from Momoi-san. The first half of the preliminaries have ended, and she's just listed the teams that have qualified so far." Kuroko gave his phone for everyone else to read.

"We've defeated all of these teams, right?" Kiyoshi asked, earning a nod from everyone else.

Koganei's eye twitched. "M-my darling...?"

* * *

**Three weeks later**

Two weeks ago, every team was alerted, that the official filming of the program would start exactly on this gloomy, rainy day. Since then, Riko had doubled Seirin's training menu and tortured them to the bone.

Kuroko barely survived. Barely.

The team walked inside the stadium, which was filled with a few spectators, various other teams which qualified through the preliminaries and a huge number of filming and production crew.

"Whoa, this is so cool!" Koganei squealed, "We're gonna be on TV!"

"Calm down, you moron." Riko said, as they arrived at their locker room. Everyone put their things into the lockers, as she addressed them like usual.

"Listen up everybody! Today is officially the start of this program, and we're gonna stay on it until the very end! We still don't know what exactly it's going to be, but today is the survival round. Are you all ready?"

Everyone cheered, to hype up the mood. They left the locker room in excitement, heading out the filming area.

Slowly as they did, many other teams started to file out into the centre of the indoor stadium. Almost half an hour later, a hoarse male's voice was heard through the speakers surrounding the place.

"Welcome, participants of JNB and channel XX's new basketball survival program, 'JNB: Generation of Youth'! Today will mark the official start of the show. We have all gathered, to commence the very first round of the program. "

Everyone looked towards the makeshift stage, at the very front of the stadium. A man in his forties stood at the microphone, with a pretty, young lady.

"I am the director of this program, Yamada. The MC of this program will be Asahina Miko-san. She'll explain the rules of the survival round when the filming starts, however I will tell you the gist of it now. As of now, there are a total of thirty-two teams in this stadium. By the end of the day, only sixteen will remain!"

Loud whispers broke out in the stadium, only to be hushed by the director clearing his throat.

"The rules are simple. There will be two sessions. In the first session, each team in random order, will go against two other teams. In order to qualify to the next stage, you must defeat those two teams. Only eleven teams will pass in the first session. The second session is a 'Sudden Death' round. Five teams will have the chance to climb back up and take their spot as one of the sixteen moving onto the Quarter-finals."

The director abruptly finished off and walked off the stage, followed by the MC as another member of the production crew came up to direct everyone to their places.

"This is going to be tough." Hyuuga said, as they sat down on the sidelines.

The production crew ran around like crazy chickens, shouting at the top of their lungs. Five minutes later, a voice shouted. "1,2,3, ACTION!"

The MC stood in front of all the teams, with one camera focused on her, and the rest on the thirty-two teams. She introduced herself, the show and began to address the teams.

"In this survival round, thirty-two teams will go against each other in mock battles. The team with the most points by the end of one quarter will be declared the winner, and hence, move on to the next round!"

She paused, and walked over to a small box with the mic. "The teams will be called out in random order, so boys, be ready anytime!" She shuffled around and pulled out a piece of paper, put it aside and took out another one.

"First up, we have team Seirin up against Suginara West on court A, and simultaneously on court B, Shuutoku and Kaijo!"

Though the members of Seirin were pleasantly surprised to be up first, they were much more surprised at the pairing in court B.

"Midorima and Kise, huh?" Kagami said in amusement, watching the two teams rise from their seats and head over to the court.

"Wow, that's a tough one." One of the freshmen said, much like everyone else in the stadium.

**o.o.o.o.o**

Five minutes later, Seirin had already assured their victory with 23-8. A nineteen point gap was impossible to close in just five minutes. The MC commented on their game via cue cards, as the cameras closely filmed the two teams panting and sweating as they fought for the ball.

However, on the next court, spectators were left in awe. With two of the Generation of Miracles going at each other at an extremely high-paced game, the score was tied at 43 all.

"My horoscope today is especially good." Midorima said, as passed by Kise. "I won't lose."

It was like another declaration of war, as Kise grinned. "I won't lose either."

Another five minutes later, the games were put to a stop. Seirin won against Suginara West 46-16, and in the end, Shuutoku won against Kaijo 65-62. Midorima's three pointers had caught them off guard at the very end.

Despite the relatively high paced game due to it only being one quarter, the other teams began to wonder if scoring that many points was actually possible even for NBA players.

The director seemed to be smirking in his directors chair.

The survival round went on, with Seirin and Shuutoku the first two teams to go on to the next round. The other teams that were invited followed up with no problem. Kaijo had crushed their opponents in the Sudden Death round, where the first team to score ten points was the winner.

By the end of the day, sixteen teams came out on top, posing in their respective teams for the opening credits of the program.

* * *

"Why the hell am I here again?" Kagami groaned, scratching his head lazily as he stifled out a huge yawn.

"Stop complaining and help me look for new taping!" Riko growled, glaring at the ace. "If we're going to live in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long, I'm pretty sure we'll need to stock up on our supplies."

"That itself is stupid." he said, looking around the shopping centre.

"Calm down, Kagami-kun. Like any other good survival show, living in the middle of nowhere is a requirement. Also, as long as we don't fall behind in our studies, we are exempted from school attendance if the shooting clashes with school time."

Kagami opened his mouth to argue back, but suddenly smelt something nice from the food court. His stomach grumbled.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat first." he said, as he dashed off despite Riko's warnings about triple training menu.

Kuroko sighed, wondering if he should go get something to eat too. Riko had called him out, along with the rest of the team much earlier in the morning in order to come supply shopping for the program, which required them to live in small wooden houses on the outskirts of the town.

He smiled slightly, at the thought of living together with everyone for a while. As he walked off to catch up with the rest, he heard two very familiar voices far behind him.

"You called me all the way out here, and you're just making me shop with you?"

"Come on! You can't expect me to carry all of this!"

"I'm going home."

"No! You can't! You have to shop for your things too!"

Kuroko turned around, seeing the two in view. "Momoi-san, Aomine-kun, hello."

Momoi's head perked up at the sweet voice of her beloved. "Tetsu-kuuuuuuuuuuun!" She dashed forward and hugged him, as Aomine casually walked up.

"Hello, Aomine-kun."

"Yo."

"Shopping for the program, I suppose?" Kuroko asked, prying the pink-haired girl off him.

"Yup! I'm guessing you are too?" Momoi said happily, clinging onto the blue haired boy.

"I came here with everyone from Seirin, but..." he looked around. They were gone. "they're gone."

"Perfect timing then! Come shop with me, since Dai-chan doesn't want to."

"I don't mind." Kuroko said, walking in the direction where he supposed his team mates went off too.

Despite saying that he'd go home, Aomine found himself following his former team mater and manger. He yawned with his mouth wide open, lazily scratching the back of his head much like Kagami did.

Only ten minutes later, they saw another two that were dashingly familiar.

"Huh, isn't that Ki-chan and Midorin?"

A tall green haired teen holding something in his hand and a very familiar blond haired model walked towards them casually.

"Huh, what are you three doing together?" Kise asked, grinning as usual.

"That's our line. What on earth are you two doing together?" Aomine asked, raising a brow.

Kuroko opened his mouth in an attempt to make a comment, however Midorima stopped him.

"I met him by _pure _coincidence just then. Don't get the wrong idea." He pushed up his glasses with his fingers taped as usual.

"Oh, did you two come to shop for the program as well?" Momoi asked, her eyes gleaming in hopes of them shopping together.

"Ah, yeah..."

Kuroko blocked out the conversation after that, as he looked elsewhere. A little girl with her mother passed by.

"Mama, this vanilla shake is really good!"

"Really? Then we'll get one again from that shop next time."

Kuroko looked from the direction they came from, spotting a small milkshake stand with many people lining up. He glanced back at Momoi and the others who were still talking, and walked off before they could notice.

Aomine yawned for the third time that day, wiping away a bead of tear. He looked around, and noticed that Kuroko was gone. Far in the distance, he saw a familiar mop of light blue hair lining up at a milkshake stand.

He sighed, wasting no time choosing between the annoying three here and Kuroko over there.

"Maybe I should try one of em' shakes too."

* * *

**Omake**

"Kuroko-kun, don't slow down!"

Said boy huffed and puffed, his already pale skin losing the rest of its' colour, as he tried to run at the same pace as the others much further up front. However, the birds in the trees seemed to be singing, '_futile~futile~_'.

Five minutes after everyone had finished their laps and collapsed, Kuroko had finally made it, along with Tetsuya number two.

Riko stared at the boy and dog in disbelief. "Number two aside, why are _you _covered in feathers, Kuroko-kun?"

"...the birds were mocking me." Number two barked in defence of his owner.

Riko face-palmed, feeling her patience run out. "Ten more laps, right no-!"

Said boy had vanished.

"DON'T ABUSE YOUR MISDIRECTION, KUROKOOOOO!"

**/Owari**

* * *

**A/N: **Dogwood - 'Am I indifferent to you?'

Next chapter - Aomine and Kuroko's shopping date! And then the sixteen teams are off to the survival program's location!

From the fifth chapter onwards, you'll see a lot more of the Generation of Miracles. But for now, adios~ Make sure to leave a review if you want a faster update!


	3. Everlasting

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to favourites/alert! Please make sure to read the A/N at the bottom~  
**

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**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

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**Chapter Three: Everlasting  
**

**Recap**

_Kuroko looked from the direction they came from, spotting a small milkshake stand with many people lining up. He glanced back at Momoi and the others who were still talking, and walked off before they could notice._

_Aomine yawned for the third time that day, wiping away a bead of tear. He looked around, and noticed that Kuroko was gone. Far in the distance, he saw a familiar mop of light blue hair lining up at a milkshake stand._

_He sighed, wasting no time choosing between the annoying three here and Kuroko over there._

_"Maybe I should try one of em' shakes too."_

**EoR**

Kuroko sipped on his vanilla shake, looking around the huge shopping centre with a much taller, tanned male who was awkwardly quiet.

"Aomine-kun, have you bought everything you need yet?" Kuroko knew he hadn't, but he asked anyway.

"No." Aomine grumbled in reply, "...stupid program." he muttered under his breath, looking away as he sipped on a tropical shake. Kuroko had persuaded him to try a vanilla shake, but after tasting Kuroko's, he had deemed it too sweet for his tongue.

Kuroko suddenly stopped, stumbling forward as Aomine, who wasn't paying attention, walked right into him.

"Oi, don't just stop randomly." he said, giving the boy a listen-to-me look.

Kuroko decided to ignore him and walked into the sportswear store he had stopped in front. He was in need of new sweatbands, and this shop just happened to have a one-day sale, everything half price.

"Aomine-kun, you should look for things you need too." Kuroko said, as he looked around for sweatbands. "You'll regret it later if you don't."

Aomine grumbled something Kuroko vaguely translated as an 'I know'. Aomine could be such a tsundere sometimes.

"But this shop is quite big contrary to its appearance outside." Kuroko commented, "I can't seem to find the sweatbands."

Aomine looked around, "Isn't it on that rack over there?" He was much taller than Kuroko, so it was in plain view.

"Ah. Thank you." Kuroko walked over, picking out a plain black pair.

"You always get black." Aomine said, remembering when they used to go shopping in the past.

"You can't see sweat stains on black, plus I'm just relatively used to it." Kuroko explained, wondering if he should get another pair.

"Aren't you going to get a pair?" Kuroko asked curiously, tilting his head to the side.

Aomine found that action kinda cute. Not that he'd ever verbally admit it though. "Nah. I don't need it."

Kuroko looked around, his face lighting up just the slightest as he pulled out another two packets. "Look, Aomine-kun, they have your favourite colour." He held up a light blue, almost teal coloured sweatband with two black lines going along the edges.

Kuroko showed him another pair. It was the same as the other with the colours swapped around.

"What do you say?"

Aomine deadpanned. "Huh?"

Kuroko gave the slightest smile. Something that hadn't been seen for a while. "We can match. I'll take the black with blue, and you can take the blue with black."

What he was thinking himself, Aomine didn't know. Though he had to question what Kuroko was trying to do, his mouth automatically opened for an answer.

"I guess...it wouldn't hurt."

Kuroko left for the counter before he could say anything else. Aomine stood there for a few moments, in loss of words. He face palmed.

"What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself, walking out of the shop.

**o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Here you go." Kuroko bought a small ice-cream cone for both. Kuroko had vanilla, Aomine had chocolate.

"Thanks." he mumbled, licking the cold treat.

An awkward silence settled upon them, as they sat on the parks' benches with their ice-cream. Neither uttered a single word, until Kuroko decided to break the ice.

"Aomine-kun," he began, pausing to make sure said boy was listening. "We did this quite often after school, back in middle school."

"Yeah." he answered,

"It feels somewhat nostalgic, doesn't it?"

Aomine agreed. Not that he'd actually say that out loud though. Back in middle school, the two of them used to stop by convenience stores to buy ice blocks, go to the nearest department store to buy things and just hang out. Usually with the others though.

Another moment of silence came, Aomine staying quiet partly because he didn't know what to say or where to start. It was obvious they'd be awkward. They hadn't actually fixed their somewhat broken relationship.

He'd never be the first to submit to his faults though. Never.

"During the finals of the winter cup, you came to watch, right?" Kuroko asked. He had a feeling the other had come, but wanted to confirm.

"Yeah. Satsuki dragged me along with her." He popped the rest of the cone into his mouth, swallowing it. "Who'd think you win against Akashi though?"

Kuroko's expression darkened. Aomine could see from the corner of his eyes. "It was...just pure luck." He frowned. "I didn't believe it either."

Aomine opened his mouth to retort, but Kuroko beat him to it.

"Do you remember that day, during the game?" Kuroko said softly;bitterly. "Throughout the whole game, Akashi-kun's expression hardly changed. He wasn't thrilled, or having fun. Nor was he troubled or surprised. Even at the end of the game, he was _smirking _despite the fact he lost."

"...I-" Aomine stopped, realising what he was about to say. To Akashi, winning was preordained. He was always right because he always won. Or so he said.

"After that match, he told me that he hadn't lost because I was simply another him."

Aomine's eyes widened just a fraction. Why was he surprised? Was it because it felt like something was wrong because of those words? Was it the sheer fact that Akashi's principles hadn't changed? Was it...the fact that Kuroko seemed so emotionally disturbed by their former captain's words?

The sky grew dark as ominous grey clouds slowly began to cover the sun which had begun to disappear beyond the horizon. Flocks of birds screeched deafeningly as couples in the park began to go home.

"I won't lose again." Aomine declared, standing up abruptly.

Kuroko looked up, questioningly.

"Next time, I'll beat Seirin and crush your new light." He spun around on his heels, walking off with his hands in his pockets. "Just you wait." he whispered to himself, as an unbeknownst grin crept onto his face.

Kuroko stared at Aomine's retreating back, feeling his lips curl into a small smile once again.

* * *

**A few weeks later**

It was about ten in the morning by the time all sixteen teams had boarded the coaches. The weather was nice and the birds were singing. Seirin found themselves sharing a bus with the members of Kaijo and Seiho.

Kuroko sat next to Kagami somewhere in the middle with Kise and Kasamatsu sitting right in front of them. The blond had insisted that he should sit together with Kuroko, but the boy himself said otherwise.

Number two had found a comfortable spot on Kuroko's lap, as it fell asleep within minutes after the bus had taken off for a three hour drive to the location of the 'survival camp'.

With three rival teams on the same bus for hours, simply being 'rowdy' wasn't enough. Kagami had decided to take a nap and Kuroko also decided to block out all the noise with some music and get some shut eye.

Only if he hadn't plugged in earphones, he would've heard the slight click and buzzing of a Polaroid camera.

"What are you doing?" Kasamatsu asked his blond team mater, raising a brow.

Kise grinned, sliding back down onto his seat. "Taking a commemorative picture." He held the small white-framed picture in his hands for a while, waiting for the picture to fade on.

As it did, he held up the photo, smirking at his fabulous camera work. Of course, he was adoring Kuroko's _absolutely _adorable sleeping face at the same time.

Everyone else on the bus were up to no good, as they all deviously decided to draw on Hyuuga's face - as he had fallen asleep. Some were quietly reading or listening to music. Most were talking amongst themselves. As the scenery outside seemed to get more green and less cars and people passed, the sky grew darker by the minute.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

**Omake**

After three long hours on the bus, along with three ten minute breaks during the way, everyone piled off the coaches, collecting their bags as they did.

Kuroko stretched, then yawned, Number two doing the same. He blinked multiple times, clearing his blurry vision as he tried to take in his surroundings. They were standing on damp green grass and surrounded by trees, tress and more trees.

They really were in the middle of nowhere. Away from civilization.

However the amount of people slowly increasing said otherwise.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise called out, spotting his favourite mop of light blue hair. "How could you just leave me like that?" he pouted.

"I forgot." he replied bluntly.

After an exchange of few words, the coaches began to drive off. On the side of each coach, large advertisements of the program was seen along with a picture of a basketball.

"But seriously, the program's title 'Generation of Youth' is such a rip-off of our name." Kise commented, snorting. Generation of miracles sounded so much better.

Suddenly, Kuroko pulled Kise's sleeve as the director passed. He turned to face the blond.

"Shh! You'll get cut from the program if you say things like that, Kise-kun." Kuroko whispered softly, putting a finger to his lips. His expression was somewhere between scolding and laughing in agreement. A pink, bubbly aura seemed to appear behind him.

Kise blushed. Like he never blushed before. He didn't trust his mouth to speak, so he nodded. Like he never nodded before.

With a curt smile, Kuroko left with his team mates. However, as he left, something red and shiny came flying towards him from the distance.

"SCISSORS?"

At that moment, a small raccoon statue, an empty pocky box and a rock came flying towards him simultaneously.

A few mantra's of "Die Kise!" was heard before the blond passed out.

**/Owari**

* * *

**A/N: **Everlasting - 'Never ending memory, Unfading remembrance'

Next chapter - [_Natsurtium_] The teams get settled into their new wooden homes located in the middle of nowhere, and the _mini_-tournament beings!

I have so much motivation I could keep writing more chapters and update continuously, but...school's in and my exam week is coming soon, very soon. To be honest, I wrote chapter 1 and 2 on the same day, which explains the fast update. And I wrote this on the same day as I updated with chapter 2.

For those wondering, I DON'T KNOW what main pairing this story will turn out to be. I will put up a poll in later chapters. Also, _YES_, the GoM will reunite and play as a team as the summary suggests.

Thanks for reading so far! Reviews keep my motivation high, so the more the better! Ciao~


	4. Natsurtium

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to favourites/alert! A friendly reminder about the A/N at the end~Thanks!**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Natsurtium**

"Hyuuga-kun, barricade the front door!" Riko shouted, running down the narrow hallway.

Hyuuga ran towards the front door, bending forward slightly to prepare himself. Other members of Seirin's basketball club opened their doors wide, as to set a trap. Kagami yawned, retiring to his room for the morning. He shut his door tight, not bothering with the ruckus outside.

"Tetsuya number two!" Koganei called out, walking around the lodge cautiously with light steps. "Come out come out, where ever you are~"

Long story short, Number two had gotten excited in a new, unusual environment and gone wild - knocking things over and messing everything up. Now he was hiding somewhere, making the Seirin members uneasy.

Kagami proved useless and Kuroko, Number two's owner, was nowhere to be found.

"I should really keep a leash on Kuroko-kun." Riko said, heaving a heavy sigh.

Before anyone could comment on her frustration, Number two sped out from underneath the coffee table in the lounge, startling everyone.

"There he is!" Someone shouted, "Get him!" Another shouted.

Other teams who just happened to be walking outside, sweat dropped in front Seirin's new 'house'. Were they really one of the strongest teams who rose to the top at the Winter cup?

"Are those Seirin folks gonna be alright?"

"I hope not."

* * *

**Afternoon; Main field**

By mid-afternoon, all sixteen teams had gathered at the main field, where filming would start. The main field was basically where the producer would gather everyone to explain something about the show and then the MC would brief it over to the teams when the cameras were rolling.

"Everyone may already be aware, however, 'JNB Generation of Youth' is a survival basketball program where..." The MC explained the format of the show for the sake of the viewers.

"Through the preliminaries everyone here beat hundreds of other national teams, making it into the top thirty-two. However, in the survival round the number of teams were reduced to half. The sixteen teams standing here as of present, are the best sixteen in Japan!" She began, earning cheers from the teams.

"However, apart from the usual tournament layout, there are mini-tournaments. These mini-tournaments are completely random, and can be anything from quiz battles to running on ice. The winning team of each mini-tournament will have a significant advantage in the next official match!"

Loud whispers would've broken out, but cue cards behind the cameras read, 'Expressions only. No whispering or talking.'

The MC looked up to the teams and gave them a dark smile, which was also part of the script. "The first mini-tournament will be held tomorrow!" She announced, "The prize of the first mini-tournament shall not be revealed until tomorrow. However, in my opinion, it could be very useful with teams with rash, hot headed players."

Everyone in Seirin turned their heads to Kagami, who was taken aback from the sudden attention.

"W-what! Why are you all looking at me?"

Kuroko looked at him with his usual stoic expression. "Because you're the epitome of rash and hot-headed players."

Kagami hummed a low growl, unable to retort back.

"Training is forbidden for all teams until the prize is revealed tomorrow. All teams dismissed!"

As the producers went over the script with the MC, the camera and scriptwriters went around, asking one person from each team to give their thoughts on the mini-tournament the next day.

After a while, Seirin was the last to be interviewed. Although they had originally intended to get Izuki or Hyuuga to give their thoughts, the cameras went to Kagami and more surprisingly, Kuroko and Number two.

"What are your thoughts about tomorrow's opponents?" the scriptwriter asked, giving Kagami a small black mic to hold.

"Obviously, we're gonna win." He grinned, looking at the camera. "We're gonna be number one again and bury all the other teams in the dirt!"

Behind, Riko and the others faced palmed;Riko partly wondering whether she should bash up their ace on national television. She decided not to. It wasn't good for her image.

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Kagami-kun." Kuroko whispered softly, poking the said boy in the side.

The scriptwriter turned to Kuroko, who even himself, seemed surprised that he was noticed by the lady. Kagami passed the mic, as the camera looked slightly more downwards to get Kuroko's head to chest on screen.

"If tomorrow's prize is something useful for rash players, our team will definitely need to win, no matter what." His expression was the same as usual, stoic and unreadable, but somehow, slightly softer than usual. "It won't be easy, but we, team Seirin will prove our strength."

"Woof!"

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Guys, sit down. Dinner's almost ready." Riko called out, smiling smugly at her mountain of cooking.

Everyone froze on their spots, turning their heads to their coach.

"I-I thought we were going to go to the cafeteria for dinner." Someone said, paling. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Eh? But my cooking is so much more nutritious and high in carb!" she whined, pouting. However, she had already set up the table for eleven.

Although the area seemed isolated at first glance, it actually had quite alot of facilities. There was a cafeteria, or restaurant which was open all hours, everyday, with staff available during breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a tiny kitchen in every lodge, but cooking could barely be done.

"How did you even manage to cook all of that?" Hyuuga asked, "It would've been impossible here."

Riko smiled. "I borrowed the cafeteria's kitchen for a while."

Everyone hoped the other teams weren't suffering from food poising.

Other than that, there was a auditorium-like building where gatherings were held when the weather was bad, and of course, a small basketball stadium with two full courts and a relatively large amount of spectator seats and locker rooms.

Other than those and a few more, there were trees. Lots of them.

In the Seirin lodge, it was hell on earth. Riko's famous curry filled with vitamin tablets and whatnot, deadly delayed-effect stew and various other dishes which looked suspiciously ominous decorated the dinner table.

Tetsuya number two was the only happy soul, as he had simple dog food in his bowl.

Whilst Riko was looking through the mini-fridge for some ketchup for god knows what, Kuroko slipped away quietly without being noticed by anyone. He walked back to his room quietly, which was thankfully, at the end of the hallway furthest from the dining-lounge room. He could always go get something to eat early in the morning for breakfast.

Number two perked his ears up, noticing his owner sneak away. He had finished his dinner, so he had no more business here.

As Kuroko got washed and got ready to hit the sack, he lay on his back with the lights turned off in his room. He stared at the ceiling, trying to make out shapes from the shadows.

It was a nice getaway - enjoying themselves like this in a completely different, somewhat relaxing environment. It was a survival show, but it was escaping from reality, even if it was only temporary.

He lulled himself to sleep, with number two snuggled in his arms.

* * *

Early in the morning at six, Kuroko sat up in his bed and stretched. The sun was slowly starting to rise. He climbed off the bed, waking number two in the process. He passed the mirror and stared at himself for a while.

Gravity would fix his bed hair.

He let out a small yawn, grabbing black shorts and a white short-sleeved hoodie on his way out to the bathroom.

By the time he had finished washing up and his bed hair was somewhat tamed, his stomach began to growl. He slipped on his sneakers and stepped outside. Everyone was still sleeping, as expected.

The mornings were always slightly cold. Kuroko shivered as the morning breeze brushed against his skin. He hurried towards the cafeteria, hoping that no-one was there.

However much to his luck, someone was there. Not that he minded though. Really. It was only Kise.

"Kise-kun?" It was rare to see the blond up so early.

Kise, who was sitting on the edge of one of the tables in the middle of the cafeteria, spun his head around - his face brightening up like christmas lights.

"Kurokocchi!" he stood up, "Mornin'."

"What are you doing here so early?" Kuroko asked, absent mindlessly.

He noted that the blond was wearing a black button shirt with a khaki coloured fur-lined overcoat and dark skinny jeans with chains hanging on them. There were slight dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess, as if he had just woken up.

"I just came back from a photo shoot and live radio show late last night," he sighed, slumping back down onto his chair. Kuroko walked over and sat opposite of him.

"I left right after the filming yesterday and got driven to my schedule then back. My manager told me to eat something, but I have no appetite so early in the morning."

Kuroko felt sorry for the boy. Sure, he was a popular model and all, but in the end, he was only another normal high school student. Humans had limits.

As if right on cue, Kuroko's stomach growled.

Kise grinned, "Hungry, Kurokocchi?" he glanced down to his half-warm western-style breakfast. "You can have mine if you want. I haven't touched it yet."

"Thank you." Kuroko said softly, pulling the tray over.

Kise smiled, leaning his cheek on his palm as he watched Kuroko eat. "I never thought I'd be able to eat in a cafeteria with Kurokocchi again." he said, checking his phone as it vibrated.

Kuroko stopped eating for a moment, holding the piece of toast at his mouth. It _was _nostalgic. So much, that he didn't want to be here anymore. He had made a resolve to move on from the past and focus on his new, brighter future with Seirin.

But it was hard. And deep down he knew, that he was desperately longing for something else. But it was too late.

For that something, had already long disappeared from his life.

* * *

Later that morning by nine o clock, everyone was up and gathered at the main field, all visibly tired. Well, mostly everyone save for a certain dark blue haired, tanned player and a few others who weren't exactly morning people.

The MC slouched, waiting for the cameras as she fiddled with the mic on her collar with a slight frown. Minutes later, the cameras were rolling and a large, fake smile appeared on her face. Professionals were amazing.

"Alright everyone! As you were all told yesterday, today is the day of the first mini-tournament. And as promised, I will reveal today's prize right now." She paused for suspense. "The winners of today's mini-tournament will receive..." She paused, again for suspense.

Midorima scoffed silently, pushing up his glasses. "An additional foul chance."

"Huh? Really?" Takao asked, surprised, but not really surprised at the same time. "How do you know?"

Midorima sighed. "Isn't it obvious? Something useful for hot-headed, rash players. What other than a foul?"

Takao hummed in understanding.

"...plus two foul chances!" the MC announced, as Midorima felt somewhat proud of himself. "Instead of the usual five, you'll get seven chances then it's out!"

Everyone glanced over to Seirin, where Riko was making a huge fuss over something. Most likely Kagami and his recent outburst of fouls.

"The mini-tournament will begin at exactly ten to noon. So until then, everyone is free to practice as much as they can. The mini-tournament itself will not be revealed until it starts. Good luck, players."

"All right!" Riko shouted, "We have a little over two hours to get ready. Whatever this mini-tournament is, we're going to stand on top and get those two foul chances!" She was determined. It was a necessity for Seirin.

Stupid Bakagami.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"All captains to the front!"

The respective captains of each team went up to the front, lining up somewhat. The MC handed each of them a plain white envelope. Everyone stood curiously, waiting for the MC to tell them what the tournament was going to be.

The captains went back to their teams, holding the rather flat envelope.

"Captains, please open your envelopes."

And they did, with great curiousity. Hyuuga took out a small piece of paper from the envelope, raising a brow.

"What's this?"

"Three pig-head rocks?"

"...Lake fish?"

Loud whispers broke out, all teams questioning each other as they stared at the list in disbelief. Was this written in english or what?

"The list you see in front of you are items that can be found anywhere in this vast forest land all the way to the mountains in the north-east. One member of the team will carry a basket on their backs, which the required items will be placed in. However, that person cannot collect items whilst holding the basket. In order to win, you must be the first to return here with the correct amount of items within the time limit."

Every team received a rather large, sturdy looking basket. If the person in possession of the basket was unable to collect items, then there was only two options.

"Alright, we'll split this list amongst everyone." Riko turned to Kuroko, "Kuroko-kun, since you're the weakest, you'll be holding the basket and in charge of collecting twenty five Shiitake mushrooms and twenty five Hanaiguchi mushrooms. You'll switch with Kagami-kun afterwards."

Kuroko blinked, unsure what to say.

On the other side of the main field, Yosen had no need to decide who was to hold the basket.

"Murasakibara, you hold the basket." the captain said, handing over the basket. "We could always get the weakest person and make them hold it empty whilst the rest of us go search for the items then come back, but I think for us, this will be easier."

The MC cleared her throat. "Okay! Remember, the mini-tournament affects your ranking on the show and which teams you play against in the next quarter-finals! The time limit is until the last hour of the goat."

Everyone blinked. "...what?"

"On your marks...go!"

Ridiculously dumfounded and confused, many teams had a slow start. Goat? What?

Without a care, Seirin dashed off into the forest first, with Kuroko lagging behind. A small filming team ran after them, following them throughout the forest.

They could always figure out the goat-whatever thing later. However, as they got deeper into the forest, Izuki stopped the group.

"Wait! These are the Shiitake mushrooms." he pointed to a whole sea bed of greyish-brown mushrooms.

"...that's kinda disturbing." Koganei said, shuddering.

"And just over there- those bright orange ones, are the Hanaiguchi mushrooms."

Hyuuga and the rest wanted to ask Izuki why on earth he was suddenly so knowledgeable about mushrooms. But he was being useful. That's all that mattered.

Izuki's eyes snapped open wider. "Wait-!"

"What is it?" Hyuuga asked, perplexed.

Izuki furrowed his brows. "Mushrooms are...the tree's children. (1)" (_'Kinoko wa ki no ko.')_

Everyone turned around to leave, following Riko's orders to collect the items and return back to this mushroom infested area where Kuroko was to stay.

"Kuroko-kun," she called out, running backwards slowly, "_Don't you dare go anywhere else._" It was a threat, not a demand.

Having no option but to obey the coach, Kuroko walked over to the sea of Shiitake mushrooms and put the basket down against the tree. The cameras had gone chasing after the rest, putting him to ease. Kuroko squatted down and began picking the mushrooms carefully, counting the numbers in his head.

Unbeknownst to him, a certain figure was watching him, high above in the density of the trees.

_To be continued._

* * *

**A/N: **Natsutritium - 'Victory in Battle, Conquest'

Next chapter - [_Maidenhair] _- The mini-tournament continues! The Generation of Miracles have a secret meeting, and Kuroko is torn between the past and present.

**(1)** - (Izuki's random pun) Sorry, I came up with that on the spot. It's no better than his steak pun. (I loved that tbh)

I apologise for the lack of GoM in this chapter! But as you can see above, from the next chapter onwards, you'll see much more of them. Thanks to everyone for reading. The GoM will turn everything upside down _very_ soon.

Also, I thank the many guests that take their time to review. I was...quite surprised. Someone actually managed to correctly guess the course of the story. United GoM and...it's a secret. I have the whole story planned out, so hopefully I won't face any writer's blocks.

As school's back in, I don't know how often I can update. I'll try my best though. The more reviews, the more motivation I get to update faster. Ciao!


	5. Maidenhair

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took their time to review and followed this story! Don't miss the A/N at the bottom.  
**

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**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Maidenhair  
**

**Recap**

_"Kuroko-kun," she called out, running backwards slowly, "Don't you dare go anywhere else." It was a threat, not a demand._

_Having no option but to obey the coach, Kuroko walked over to the sea of Shiitake mushrooms and put the basket down against the tree. The cameras had gone chasing after the rest, putting him to ease. Kuroko squatted down and began picking the mushrooms carefully, counting the numbers in his head._

_Unbeknownst to him, a certain figure was watching him, high above in the density of the trees._

**EoR  
**

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't lonely or bored.

"...17...18...19..." Kuroko picked the mushrooms from the base of the tree trunk carefully, making sure he didn't lose track of counting.

He sighed, standing up as he took out a small light blue handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the small traces of dirt off his hand as he looked around the forest. He hadn't imaged spending his long holiday like this. Picking mushrooms and all.

Kuroko looked around, looking for a relatively flat and non-mushroom infested place to sit. Unfortunately there was none, so he decided to lean against the tree.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

He was sleepy, it was cold, he couldn't be bothered and this program was just a waste of time.

Aomine yawned for the umpteenth time that morning, walking around lazily. His stupid captain had come around to wake him up and literally pulled him out of bed. He finally decided to get up and just sleep somewhere in the forest, ignoring Satsuki's childish threats.

He thought of sleeping on a bed of flowers, but he didn't want to be seen by his team mates or the cameras, so he climbed up a random tree. He sat in a half sitting position on a large trunk that could support his weight.

Just as he felt that he could get some more shut-eye, a soft sigh was heard down at the base of the tree. He didn't really care, so he ignored it. However, a very familiar voice began to count.

_"Tetsu?"_ he asked himself, peering over the branch to look down.

To his guess, it really was the blue-haired boy. He was squatting down, picking mushrooms. Aomine raised a brow. Satsuki did say something about a collecting race of some sorts.

For a while, he laid back comfortably, listening to the boy count the mushrooms slowly. He felt drowsy, and sleep was over coming him once more, when-

"Oi, Kuroko!"

Aomine growled, his peace disturbed by the person he disliked the most. And boy, did he dislike alot of people.

Kuroko turned his head to the direction of the voice, seeing Kagami run up with an armful of various fruits and...fish.

"Are you done already, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, watching as the other dumped the items into the basket.

"Yeah," he grinned, "It's a pain in the ass, but we're gonna win. And...make the coach chill down while we're at it." he said the last part with a look of annoyance.

"Yes."

"..."

A crows call was heard, making the sudden silence very awkward. Kuroko didn't seem to care. Not that anyone could tell though. Kagami averted his attention elsewhere, wondering if there was a way to break this silence.

Kuroko bent down, poking the dead fish with amazement. Though again, not that anyone could tell though. It was soft, slimy and the scales shimmered in the rays of sunlight passing down through the gaps of the tree tops.

Kagami glanced at the boy, staring at him poke the fish. It was probably just him, but recently, he felt somewhat detached from Kuroko. It was as if Kuroko was bothered by something;that his mind was looking at a different reality.

"Kuroko," he began, wondering how he should word his question. "After the finals...did something happen between you and that former captain of yours?"

Kuroko froze, unable to answer immediately. "I..."

"Ah, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just thought maybe something was bothering you." he looked away, scratching the back of his head. "I saw him say something to you after we left the locker rooms." This was so out of his character.

Kuroko stood up, with his usual deadpan, stoic expression. "No, nothing happened." he paused, "You're uncharacteristically trying to be observant today, Kagami-kun."

"You bas-!"

"Why don't you go help the coach? I saw her pass that way just a moment ago." Kuroko said, suggesting an alternate option to avoid another awkward silence.

"Yeah." Kagami replied, walking off.

After Kagami left, Kuroko stood there silently. It was only a few minutes later that he decided to sit down on the comfort of a small log he had found near the tree. He yawned, wondering when the rest of his team were going to come back. Did they even know what the last hour of the goat was?

Suddenly, he felt drowsy, barely able to keep his eyes open. He yawned again, wiping away a bead of tear that formed at the brim of his right eye.

"Kurokocchi!"

Kuroko turned his head to the left, as his eyes widened just a fraction. It was a rainbow. A rainbow of heads walking towards him. But it wasn't the colourful assortment of colours that surprised him.

It was the Generation of Miracles excluding himself and his former partner.

Kise, who had called out his name, was waving his hand with a small smile. Next to him was Murasakibara, the tall teen eating some sort of candy as usual. Next to him was Midorima, who was holding a carved wooden bear.

And at the front leading them, was Akashi.

Kuroko was unsure whose name to call out, or what to say. Or even what to think at that moment.

"Why are you all here?" Kuroko asked, his usual expression coming back as he stood up, "It's suspicious if all of us gather here."

"You're right. That's why I'll keep it short." Akashi replied, his expression unchanging. "But before that..."

The four stopped, just a meter away from Kuroko. The red-head looked up into the tree.

"Daiki, come down. You'll need to hear this too."

Everyone, including Kuroko, looked up to the tree, seeing no movement at all. Then they turned to Akashi, who was still staring at the tree.

"Um, Akashicchi..." Kise said nervously, "There's no-"

Before he could finish the sentence, something up in the tree began to rustle and leaves slipped down from the branches, along with the last member of the miracles. Aomine grunted in frustration, jumping down from the tree with ease.

The other four were somewhat amazed. But it wasn't that amazing. After all, it was Akashi. It was natural for him to see things others couldn't.

"Whaddya want?" Aomine grumbled, plucking a leaf from his hair.

A somewhat powerful aura of authority seemed to fall upon the red-head as he began to speak, his heterochromic eyes narrowing slightly. "It's nice that we have once again gathered here together. However, there's something that all of you might want to be aware of."

Akashi spoke sophisticated and softly, succinctly explaining his point. Every word that slipped out of his mouth, the more heavy the air around them grew. And the more tense Kuroko began to feel.

"But that's..." Midorima began, unsure how to react to such news.

Akashi's seemingly glowing orbs looked around the group. He closed his eyes briefly, "Just to let you know, I was told by the producer just moments ago."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, until Kuroko stepped forward.

"And did you just agree like that, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked, his usual blank blue eyes growing fierce, just the slightest.

A small smirk appeared on Akashi's face, as he met his gaze with the sixth man. "Don't you think it'll be interesting?" he stepped forward too, inching closer to Kuroko.

Kuroko parted his lips, with the intention of retorting. He valued his life, but he wasn't one to let his values and opinions get trampled over.

Akashi leaned forward, his breath brushing against Kuroko's ear. "Do you intend to defy me, Tetsuya?" he whispered, just loud enough for the other members to hear.

Akashi returned the space between them and turned away, as Kuroko stared at his captain's back with his usual deadpan, unreadable expression.

"...no."

"I haven't given my answer yet either. Think about it." Akashi said finally, as he left with Midorima and Murasakibara following suit.

Kise glanced over at the blue haired male, giving him a empathetic look. It was an undeniable fact that Kuroko was going to take it the hardest. However, having some faith in his former trainer, the blond turned to leave, without uttering a single word.

Aomine had taken a glance at Kuroko then left, unable to handle the tense atmosphere. It was almost as if a knife could just fly through and slice it into pieces.

Kuroko's hair shadowed his eyes, as he sat back down onto the log. Even as one had remained behind, he didn't look up. He knew who it was.

"Murasakibara-kun?"

A brief silence passed, the other boring a hole into Kuroko with his stare.

"Don't you want to return to those days, Kuro-chin?"

A new feeling washed over him, as Kuroko sat motionless - unable to comprehend this feeling; unable to respond.

* * *

**9:32PM - Seirin lodge Kuroko's room**

Kuroko laid in bed, curled up on his side as he stared at the small study desk opposite to his bed. He had retired for the night, after having a decent meal at the cafeteria.

_"I haven't given my answer yet either. Think about it."  
_

Seirin had won the mini-tournament. Riko and the others came running back, all with armfuls of items they had to collect. Everyone had gotten impatient and in a rush, fearing that the time limit had passed.

That was of course, until Kuroko told them that the last hour of the goat was three pm. He and Kagami had learnt it in religion class.

_"Don't you want to return to those days, Kuro-chin?"_

Kuroko closed his eyes, listening to the boisterous laughter and chattering of his team mates. But he couldn't forget what Akashi had told him..._them_.

_"There's going to be an extra team thrust into the program after the quarter finals. It's a twist, like all good survival shows have."_

Silently, Kuroko got up from his bed. He walked outside, wordlessly walking out to the front porch. The night air was cold, but he didn't mind. It felt nice against his skin. He stared into the looming darkness of the forest surrounding the small lodge.

"Oi, whaddya doing out here?"

Kagami stepped out, looking at Kuroko curiously. "It's cold."

Kuroko managed a small smile. "Fresh air."

The two shared a moment of peace, enjoying the fresh night breeze. It was different from the city's partially polluted air. Kagami stole glances at the shorter male, looking for any answers in his expression. But there was none.

"Is something wrong, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, facing his new 'light' who had turned away as he got caught looking.

"That's my line. There's something bothering you, right?"

Kuroko leaned his elbows on the wooden railing, staring into space. "Yes."

"I heard from Koganei-senpai," Kagami said, ignoring the loud laughter erupting from the lounge. "The Generation of Miracles were heading towards your area."

Kuroko delayed his response, unable to come with a sufficient excuse. "Sorry."

"Huh? Ah, I won't pry into it. After all, there's something much more important than that right now." he grinned, looking down at Kuroko who gave him a curious look.

"The quarter finals. We're gonna beat everyone and take that number one spot again!"

Kuroko turned away, realising that it was his cue to smile. The cue to change his expression. But he wasn't sure. He, himself, didn't know what type of expression he wore at that moment.

"Yes."

Kagami extended out his fist, as Kuroko did so too. They bumped fists - an exchange of friendship and mutual understanding between each other.

But if anything, Kuroko wore a bitter smile. A bitter smile that accompanied well with guilt of the dishonesty, rushing through his veins.

"_There's going to be an extra team thrust into the program after the quarter finals. It's a twist, like all good survival shows have - and it's us. The Generation of Miracles have reached their ears."_

* * *

**Omake**_  
_

"Daiki, come down. You'll need to hear this too."

Everyone, including Kuroko, looked up to the tree, seeing no movement at all. Akashi continued staring up at the tree. He knew his team mate was there, he was sure of it.

...until he realised it was the wrong tree.

He spotted a familiar shade of dark blue hair in the tree behind. He smirked. It was a blind spot from the position of the others, who were all concentrating on the wrong tree. **  
**

Aomine, who had been snoozing on the comfort of a large tree branch, awoke when he heard his name called out by a familiar voice. He yawned, pushing away some leaves that was blocking his view. He saw Akashi, and everyone else standing around the tree in front.

He raised a brow, unsure what to do...until that is, he met with Akashi's gaze.

Akashi stared at him intently, with the eyes of a cold-blooded killer. _"Come down from this tree right this minute, Daiki. Or else..."_

And like magic, Aomine had fallen from the tree in front, mumbling in annoyance. He valued his life more than his pride.

Akashi, on the other hand, had his pride to uphold. Aomine wasn't going to mind. It was him after all. He was always right. And if he said that this tree was the one Aomine was in, Aomine was going to be in this tree.

**/Owari  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Maidenhair - 'Discretion'.

Next chapter - [_Ophrys Fly_] - The quarter finals have arrived, and six teams will be eliminated. However an unexpected situation uprises and Seirin is thrown into turmoil.

Oh my god. I am so obsessed with the manga right now, words cannot express how ecstatic I get when a new chapter comes out. I love Aomine more than Kagami and Rakuzan more than Seirin even though I barely know them. No actually, I just like Akashi~

The next chapter, unfortunately, will be one of the last chapters you'll read that's based on team Seirin most of the time. This _is_ a united GoM story, so Seirin-loving readers, I'm sorry. (Don't get the wrong idea though. Hint, hint.)

Anyway, THANK YOU! to all the wonderful readers who reviewed the previous chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and it made my day. I had originally planned to delay this chapter until a few more days, but hey, might as well update now!

Thanks again, and I'll be back with another chapter real soon. Reviews keep my motivation high - I get writer's blocks easily, haha. Ciao


	6. Ophrys Fly

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took their time to review and followed this story, it makes my day. Make sure to read the A/N down there, thanks~  
**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Ophrys Fly  
**

"Is it just me, or did it just get darker?" Koganei asked, looking up at the sky.

The others looked up to the sky, nodding in agreement. It had been bright and sunny just a few minutes ago. Now, ominous grey clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun.

"It's probably gonna rain tonight." Hyuuga said, as the sky thundered with perfect timing to match his statement.

"Don't slow down, or else you'll be running an extra ten laps even if it rains!" Riko shouted, blowing her whistle.

Everyone sped up, in an attempt to finish their thirty laps before it rained. As usual, Kuroko lagged behind, giving it his all just to keep up with the rest. It was an undeniable fact that his physical abilities lacked in comparison to most. However, today, his mind had parted from his body.

"_There's going to be an extra team thrust into the program after the quarter finals. It's a twist, like all good survival shows have - and it's us. The Generation of Miracles have reached their ears."_

Sure, the Generation of Miracles were considered a legend in middle school. Some people even denied their existence until they actually saw the six for their own eyes. But the whole fuss was just everyone overreacting. They were strong - it was the plain truth. However, even they, didn't all start out as these praise-worthy geniuses.

In fact, they were the complete opposite. They were vilified for their exceptionally unbeatable skills.

_"I haven't given my answer yet either. Think about it."_

Kuroko kept his breath steady, running his last lap around the courts just outside their lodge. As he joined the others resting, the sky thundered again as light rain began to sprinkle.

"Alright everyone, practice will end here because of the rain. Get back into the lodge before you catch a cold!" Riko said, picking up a few forgotten water bottles.

Everyone ran back inside, not noticing the absence of their passing specialist.

* * *

Aomine laid on the grass with his eyes closed, slowly falling asleep with the sound of nature around him. It was different from the rooftop, but this wasn't a bad substitute. He idly listened to the birds chirping;his mind void of all thoughts.

Almost half an hour later, he awoke. The sky had turned dark and the clouds looked like they were ready to spill a massive downpour any second. He yawned, scratching the back of his head as he stood up. On his way back to the lodge, he heard the familiar shouting of Seirin's female coach.

He realised that Seirin's lodge was rather close to theirs. But of course, that didn't matter to him at all. After all, despite Kuroko being a part of Seirin, it didn't really concern him at all. Honestly.

"Aomine, hurry back to the lodge. It's going to rain!" Touou's captain called out, running back with the others.

Aomine ignored him, knowingly fully well himself. He walked back to the lodge, his mind suddenly full of thoughts with the 'secret' meeting on the day of the mini-tournament. He still remembered, the bitter expression Kuroko had on his face as Akashi walked away.

The sky thundered again, much louder than the last. As he arrived at the lodge, he looked back at the sky once more. An uneasy feeling arose, as he recalled thoughts of the blue-haired boy.

He wasn't Akashi, but he knew something wasn't right.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Akashi sat at his desk, reading a book to relieve his boredom. The sky thundered, as drops of rain began to fall. The wind picked up, slightly shaking the frames of his rooms' window.

He knew from the morning that a storm was coming. Specifically the reason why he decided not to go out to jog some laps with the others. It wasn't really necessary though, and everyone knew that too.

The other Rakuzan members had returned due to the rain, as he heard their voices from the hallway. He didn't really care though. He could call them his team mates, but as long as they aided in Rakuzan's victory, he didn't care.

They were strong. But not as strong as _them_.

He smirked at the thought. _It_ was going to happen soon, he knew it was going to - because it simply just had to. However, his smirk was short-lived as the sky thundered repeatedly.

Almost like the spontaneous roars of thunder, a sudden ominous premonition flashed before his eyes.

He was never wrong, and he never doubted himself. However,_ just_ this one time he wasn't sure. Something was going to happen, and it was going to be inevitable.

* * *

**Three days later  
**

The days of the quarter finals arrived at long last. Each team had trained as much as they could with the limited indoor training facilities. For the past three days, it had been raining. It was almost as if a hole had been punctured in the sky.

However, most teams walked in the arena with their heads held up high with confidence. Eight teams were going to be eliminated from the program, but each team were confident in their respective skills.

Seirin was no exception. Half of the teams present, they had already beaten once before. They weren't planning to lose again or get caught up in their revenge.

Kagami's eyes were swollen and red. Kuroko looked up to the ace, smiling softly.

"Were you not able to sleep again?"

Kagami scowled. "Shut up."

The MC explained the rules and procedures of the days' quarter-finals, as the teams bubbled in excitement. The cameras then focused on the large screen with the list of teams and their opponents. It was like any tournament.

"First up on court A is, Rakuzan and Onita! Simultaneously on court B, will be Shuutoku and Senshinkan! Teams, please make your way to the courts."

The four teams left, whilst the remaining twelve teams headed towards the spectator seats. Although each team was an enemy of their own, these matches weren't to be missed.

"Wow, Rakuzan right off the bat?" someone commented, whistling.

"Didn't think they'd get beaten in the Winter Cup though. That other team must've been so proud of themselves." another person said, with sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Guess they weren't so good after all."

"Probably. Could've been luck."

Seirin, who were sitting just above these other two, had a hard time holding themselves back. Even the usually calm and composed Kuroko, frowned, with the intention of giving the two a short lecture.

"Just ignore them." Riko said softly, trying to calm her players. To be honest, she was quite frustrated too. But if the coach lost her cool, everyone would.

The matches began, with both courts going all out as soon as the time started. From the perspective of the other teams, Rakuzan didn't even have to use seventy percent of their power to completely crush Onita.

This was a given, without their almighty captain of course. Akashi had decided not to play in such a pathetic game.

On the other court, Shuutoku had already long dominated the match, crushing the other teams' motivation and will with Midorima's three-pointers. The green-haired teens lucky item for the day, was a small toy bear, which he just happened to have in his luggage. Cancer was number two after Sagittarius, but his lucky item would make up for it.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

The matches continued, each team having a fair amount of camera time. About four matches had already gone on, leaving just half. After the fourth match, the MC went back to the screen with the list of teams, joining the lines to decide the next match.

"The fifth match of today, on court A is...Team Seirin against Kirisaki Daichi!" The MC announced dramatically, fitting the atmosphere of the stadium perfectly. "Would both teams please proceed to the court."

A few gasps were heard from the audience, namely, the other teams. The members of Seirin frowned, walking down from the spectators' stand.

"I can't believe we're going against them again." Hyuuga commented, as Mitobe nodded in agreement.

"Isn't it fine? We already beat them once." Koganei said, earning a smack from the coach.

"Don't be stupid." Riko said, putting her bag down on their bench. "They've most likely powered up since that match, and aiming for a win in a revenge match. The same old methods won't work on them."

Kagami let out his usual feral grin - the one he wore before every game. "We'll win this, no problem."

Everyone nodded in agreement, as they all huddled in a small circle to hype themselves up for the match. Riko told them to 'Go steal another victory' before sending them off to the court.

They weren't planning to get caught up in Hanamiya's web again. There were rumours that he had changed his ways, but people weren't capable of changing just like _that. _

The whistle blew, as the referee threw the ball up into the air. As usual, a normal persons' jumping height was nothing compared to Kagami's jumping power. Seirin took the ball, aiming for the run-and-gun style of play.

Izuki dribbled the ball less than a metre or so, until another player from Kirisaki Daichi went on defense, blocking his path. He ignored his opponent's sharp glare and utilized his Eagles' eye to find a path to pass the ball to Kagami.

"Kuroko!" he called, passing the ball. Even now, the other team couldn't keep track of the invisible blue-haired boy.

Kuroko changed the direction of the ball towards Kagami, serving as a simple passer like he used to be. He still was;just that he was more useful on the court than he used to be.

Hanamiya stole the ball, speeding past Seirin's defenses. Without a moments' of hesitation, he dunked the ball into the hoop, rather expressionless.

Kuroko glanced at him, wondering if Kirisaki Daichi really had changed. He looked elsewhere, erasing that thought immediately.

_"He's stepping on Senpai's foot." _he idly thought to himself, glancing over to Hyuuga and his mark, who was stepping on his left foot. The glasses teen was clearly ticked off, Kuroko knowing very well that he wasn't simply going to take it like that.

Disappearing from the other teams' sight, Kuroko stole the ball, passing it to Hyuuga, who went for a three shooter. It went in without any problems, with the other benched members cheering as the buzzer went off.

Seirin was in the lead with 16-14.

"End of the first quarter! Two minute intermission." the referee called out.

Kise hummed in amusement, as Kasamatsu raised a brow.

"What's so interesting?" Kasamatsu asked, sounding completely uninterested, when to be frank, he was.

"It feels like this is one of the first times I've seen Seirin in the lead in the first quarter." Kise said, leaning forward on his elbows. "Didn't expect this re-match though." he paused, lowering his voice.

"I just hope nothing happens..." he murmured, unfortunately too quiet for the other to hear.

* * *

Everyone watched silently, even the staff members left in awe.

No-one had expected such an intense game between two high-school teams. And it was two of the least heard schools, who somehow managed to make their way to the top. They could see how it happened.

Five minutes into the third quarter, the score was in Seirin's favour at 62-56.

Hanamiya growled, his expression darkening by the minute as his glare directed towards Seirin got more and more fierce. He had already felt the humiliation of losing to Seirin once. He would not be humiliated on national television and lose to this team a second time.

He was going to take revenge, whatever it took.

The timer counted down three minutes, with the score barely changing. Hanamiya stole the ball in the middle of Kuroko's pass, scoring another point with a dunk.

On the bench, Riko frowned as she examined Hanamiya._ "This could be bad." _She stood up, signalling for a time out.

"Seirin, time out!"

Everyone returned to the bench, as the spectators wondered why Seirin, who was dominating the match, needed a time out. Other teams that had already once faced Seirin, knew exactly why. **  
**

Riko bent down, as Furihata taped Kagami's legs. With an albeit grim expression, she began to speak, glancing over at the other team.

Kagami wasn't happy with the time out. Sure, he had made a foul, but there wasn't any reason to pull him out.

"So, what's the problem?" he asked, frustrated.

"I'm just a bit concerned." Riko said, lowering her voice slightly. "You may have noticed already, but Hanamiya's dunks are getting more powerful and his guesses of the path of Kuroko-kun's passes are getting more accurate even though we ourselves don't know when Kuroko will change the direction of the ball."

Hyuuga nodded, "He's certainly giving us more trouble this time around. We don't have Kiyoshi with us anymore."

"I just wanted to warn you, in case something happens. Don't get caught up in Hanamiya's attacks, you don't know what he'll do next."

Everyone nodded in understanding, standing up as the time out session ended.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

However, even with that said, neither side was discouraged. Though, there was no doubt that Seirin began to feel the pressure of their powered-up opponent.

"Whoa! Another dunk by Kirisaki Daichi!" A spectator commented, watching the match in awe.

"Seirin's getting dominated. Do you think they'll lose? I mean, it's already the third quarter..."

Certain 'supporters' of Seirin frowned, listening to the people around them. Kise frowned.

"This is stupid." he mumbled, "Of course Kurokocchi is going to win."

Kasamtasu glanced at his team mate from the corner of his eye, "You never know."

The match continued, with Seirin managing to get back in lead with Kuroko and Kagami's duo play. Hyuuga and the others could only smile at their usual perfect teamwork, despite the lack of themselves.

What most people failed to notice was Hanamiya's growing frustration with the match. He, who had kept silent most of the way through, could not contain his built-up anger any further.

Why was he so powerless? Why was his team so weak? Was he not one of the rumoured Crownless Generals?

Hanamiya stole the ball from Izuki's pass yet again, slipping past Seirin's defense somewhat easily. His clouded vision refused to see his team mates, as he struggled with the ball alone. His tainted play style was clearly shouting 'screw team play basketball'.

Kuroko frowned, blinking a couple of times to re-focus on the match. His mind had kept drifting off elsewhere, causing him to lose the ball almost twice. However, with heavy thoughts occupying his mind, when he woke to face reality - he realised it was too late.

_Much_ too late.

The ball was passed to Hanamiya once again, as he charged forward to the hoop, failing to notice the player with the least presence on the court. There was only a few seconds until the third quarter ended. He needed to make this dunk.

The sound of shoes squeaking on the court stopped momentarily, as he leapt - his hands going white and arms tensing up as he clutched onto the hoop, smashing the basketball down through the creaking hoop.

"Kuroko, watch out!" Hyuuga shouted, alerting all the spectators and other teams.

Everything passed by in a flash;in a blur. The shrill piercing sound of the whistle resounded throughout unusually silent stadium, as the situation melted into everyone's thought process;trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Kuroko!"

Said blue-haired boy collapsed onto his knees, as his vision stained with crimson red began to burn and sear in pain. He was awake, but he couldn't hear the voices around him - only the vague, desperate cries of his name.

Drops of blood began to stream down from his eye like tears, as the disgustingly warm sensation of his blood-soaked shirt clung to his body like skin.

"Someone get the medics! Call an ambulance!"

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Certain spectators could only watch in horror - eyes widening a fraction every passing millisecond.

"Oi, you alright Midorima?" Takao asked, suddenly concerned for his green-haired team mate.

Midorima froze in his seat, unable to hear the others' concern. He was sure - like four others were bound to be - that they all shared the same thoughts at that specific given moment.

"..._I'm_ fine."

Akashi stared at the commotion down in the first court with an almost stoic expression. Contrary to his outer facade, he was concerned.

"_Tetsuya_..."

Akashi brought a hand up to cover his left eye - the odd one that he had received _back then_.

**_To be continued_**

* * *

**A.N: **Ophrys Fly - 'Mistake'.

**Next chapter** - [_Cyclamen_] - Triggered by Kuroko's injury, the Generation of Miracles' traumatic past is explored. They have another secret meeting, where everyone must give their final answer.

To begin with, I'll apologise. I feel like this chapter is lacking quality and somewhat, emotion. I've been stressing out so much lately, I just couldn't get into writing mode that easily. I promise to either come back to fix it or give you a better chapter next time.

On another note, AKASHI IS SO FREAKIN' AWESOME. I don't know; he's just...so alluring...and attractive. (*wink wink*) The extent of his abilities hasn't been revealed yet, but I'm sure I'll fall for him more. I need a new chapter, now.

Again, I'm sorry for those who may not like this chapter, as it is quite dark and lacking the GoM. I'll be back with another chapter soon, but just keep in mind that my updates might take longer and longer. Hopefully not.

Don't forget to review - it'll be a constant reminder for me to type up the next chapter.


	7. Cyclamen

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took their time to review and followed this story, I'll try to reply to each and every one. As usual, don't forget the A/N.  
**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Cyclamen**

**Recap**

_Certain spectators could only watch in horror - eyes widening a fraction every passing millisecond._

_"Oi, you alright Midorima?" Takao asked, suddenly concerned for his green-haired team-mate._

_Midorima froze in his seat, unable to hear the others' concern. He was sure - like four others were bound to be - that they all shared the same thoughts at that specific given moment._

_"...I'm fine."_

_Akashi stared at the commotion down in the first court with an almost stoic expression. Contrary to his outer facade, he was concerned._

_"Tetsuya..."_

_Akashi brought a hand up to cover his left eye - the odd one that he had received back then._

**End of Recap**

* * *

_**One year ago****  
**_

_It was only a slight brush. Or if one had to exaggerate, it was simply the impact of the split-second force of friction. Yet, perplexity washed over their immediate emotions as they watched the scene from afar._

_"...Akashi-kun," Kuroko's eyes widened, a rarity for his usual stoic demeanor. "What do you intend to do?"_

_They annihilated the opposing team. Completely wiped off from the charters of the middle-school basketball circuit. Their reputation was violently torn from their crest and their power, crushed in the hands of none other than themselves._

_"Akashi-kun," a desperate plea it came out as;it wasn't his intention.  
_

_He hadn't noticed those sharp silver blades, reflecting a dull gleam from the cloudy sky._

_Their hair fluttered in the wind, the sky growing darker and bleak by every passing minute, serving as the perfect addition to their unusual isolation._

_"Tetsuya," _His_ voice came out, barely an audible whisper - the wind howling, almost as if it was protecting his words._

_Another five blocks of confusion fell upon the already ominously looming stack, as both Kuroko and the secretly spectating team members stood frozen in silence. Sharp scissor blades were brought up against _his_ left eye, the one that had been 'brushed' by the ball._

_No-one could've suspected for anyone to sustain an injury from such a minor mistake._

_"Please...stop." Kuroko whispered, the wind dying down as the dead silence amplified his plea._

_The figure clad in red stood before him;a single eye peering at him with an untold emotion. And with a seemingly nonchalant façade, he stepped forward._

_"It's not your fault, Tetsuya."_

* * *

Seirin won.

They had claimed revenge for Kuroko's injury and continued the match with such fierce determination. Kirisaki Daichi was rightfully eliminated from the program, as well as seven other teams that couldn't protect their place in the show.

Rakuzan, Touou, Yosen, Shuutoku, Kaijo, Seiho and Fukuda Sogo rose to the top. However, with an unfortunate sacrifice applied with Seirin's victory, they hadn't a single ounce of the glory of their victory.

"Hurry up you sloths, the meeting will start without us." Riko snapped, tapping her foot impatiently as she stood at the top of the hill, waiting for the yawning basketball players to get their asses over to the meeting hall.

The rain continued to drizzle, even days after the quarter finals. It was getting lighter by the day, so many had hopes of clear weather very soon.

The director had issued a meeting for all teams to gather for another information night. The quarter finals had just ended, so there was no surprise. As they arrived at the meeting hall, umbrella's were carelessly tossed into the buckets next to the open doors.

Kuroko had joined them, back from his second trip to the doctor's office, or rather, cabin. A new white eyepatch decorated his left eye, as he silently walked into the hall to join his team.

"Ah, Kuroko-kun. How was it?"

Although, he hadn't gone unnoticed by most like usual. And as usual, the many pairs of eyes following him didn't go unnoticed. Out of the few who wanted to ask about his condition, not a single one did. The director blew their chance before anyone could change their mind.

"Congratulations to all the teams here, who have managed to tightly grasp their spot in the top eight."

An applause was heard from all the staff members.

"There will be a long training period from now until the first round of the semi-finals. There will be two official mini-tournaments and many surprise battles, all with prizes that vary from food and gifts to luxury and training equipment."

Quiet whispers erupted, as the teams bubbled in excitement.

"However, please keep in mind that your effort and results during this period will affect your placement in the semi-finals greatly. All teams rankings will now be posted up on the board in the lobby adjoined to the cafeteria. Do not forget that each and every single one of you will be on national television tonight at eight."

With a few more messages, the meeting wrapped up. The eight teams grabbed their umbrellas and headed towards the cafeteria for dinner or return to their lodges to rest.

Seirin decided to head to the caferteria;certain others unable to approach Kuroko once again.

* * *

Kuroko yawned, covering his mouth as Number two yawned along with him. He threw the towel onto the floor, ruffling his hair softly as he laid back on the bed. Number two jumped onto the bed next to him, snuggling up beside his owner.

"I'd better go to sleep soon." Kuroko told himself, wishing that the lights would turn off automatically so that he wouldn't have to get up and manually turn it off himself.

Sighing, he sat up, just as his phone vibrated on the small lamp table next to the bed. It was a message-

_'Assemble in front of the Director's cabin.' _- from Akashi.

Without a moments of hesitation or need to think over the message, he shut his phone, pocketing it as he grabbed a wooly, white knitted sweater that was a tad bit too large for him.

T'was better than nothing, as he had only been wearing a pair of beige pajama shorts.

Quietly, he poked his head out the door to check for anyone loitering around. Seeing no-one, he quickly made his way to the entrance and slipped on a pair of outdoor slippers.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Uwahh, Kurokocchi!" Kise said in awe, surprised at said boys' appearance.

Kuroko said nothing, as he calmly made his way towards the others who had already gathered in front of the director's cabin.

Aomine glanced at him, raising a brow as he sat on the steps lazily. Murasakibara stood, stuffing his mouth with pocky. Midorima stood patiently, pushing up his glasses as he still held onto his lucky item for the day. Kise had slipped his phone into his pocket at Kuroko's arrival.

Kuroko stopped in front of the blond-haired model, puzzled. "Is there something wrong, Kise-kun?"

Kise stared at the boy for a five long seconds, before sweeping him up into a tight, bone crushing embrace.

"K-Kise-kun, I can't breathe." Kuroko choked out, rather calmly. He wasn't used to this.

Kise grinned sheepishly, pulling back. "Sorry, sorry! You just looked kinda fluffy...and really cute."

Kuroko up at him questioningly, with eyes that Kise mentally described as 'adorable, round and doe'. Kuroko paced away casually and looked around at the surrounding cabins and facilities. Almost like a tiny village or tribal camp, it seemed to bring a warm, home-like atmosphere.

A moment of silence approached the five, as they patiently waited for their captain, who was late as always.

"Kurokocchi," Kise began solemnly, suddenly attracting attention from all eyes and ears, "Um, about your eye..."

Kuroko brough a hand up to the eyepatch on his left eye, almost as if he was contemplating between saying something or not. "It's-"

Before he could continue, the arrival of their captain silenced him.

"I'm glad everyone has gathered here once again." he paused, stopping a metre in front of the five. "I'm sure you all know why I've gathered you here."

"It's about the offer, right?" Aomine grumbled, wanting to go back to the warmth of his room.

Akashi scanned them, his face void of any expression. "Exactly so. I expect an answer, now."

"I'll do what Aka-chin says." Murasakibara said, without a care in the world. He tore open a packet of chocolate he had stuffed into his pocket earlier.

Akashi turned towards Aomine, who scowled at the eye contact. "...I don't really care."

Taking that as a 'yes', he moved his gaze to Midorima and Kise, knowing that they would agree. But in the end, he knew everyone was going to agree. Even Kuroko, whether he liked it or not.

"This is only a television program, so I don't mind doing this for extra profit." Mirdorima pushed up his glasses, pausing. "My o-hasa horoscope said to take advantage of everything around me."

Kise raised a brow at the green-haired shooter's answer. Lengthy. "I don't mind, Akashicchi."

Akashi smirked - his grown out bangs shadowing his eyes. Knowing very well that there was only one more answer left, all five turned to their last, sixth member.

"Tetsuya." Akashi's voice held demand. Demand for a favourable answer.

The night breeze picked up, quietly howling as leaves danced about in the wind. Kuroko's deep blue eyes turned dull, as he looked down to the grass in utter silence.

* * *

_**One year ago - cont.**_

_"Akashi-kun, your eye..."_

_Akashi simply smirked. There was no pain. He felt no pain. After all, he was void of such weakness. "If you look at it one way, it's a sacrifice."_

_Kuroko bit his lower lip, frowning. "Sacrifice?" _

_With warm, crimson red blood flowing down the left side of his face, Akashi leaned forward - his eyes gleaming with a new fierce determination. Kuroko stood, frozen on the spot. He wanted to run so badly - but his body wouldn't budge. _

_"You're special, Tetsuya." Akashi whispered, lips brushing against ear._

_What came next, came as a secretive whisper. A whisper;a secret only heard by Kuroko. A secret _only_ to be kept by him. A dirty little pact he felt as if he had signed with the devil. _

_In a sense, it wasn't far from that. _

_Beads of red decorated the floor, as Akashi spun on his heels. _

_"This is our own little secret, Tetsuya."_

* * *

Kuroko knew, that the attention wouldn't be diverted from him until he gave his answer, loud and clear. But that itself, served as a difficult task.

Hesitantly, he looked up, locking his gaze with the red-head standing in front of him. And after what seemed like almost a century or millenium of staring, he tore his eyes away, loosening his tightly held fist.

"...I'll do it."

A sigh of relief passed through the group like a wave. And almost as if on cue, the door flung open.

"My goodness, you're all gathered!" the Director exclaimed, rather excitedly. "I've heard many rumours about five prodigies that took Japan by storm and a phantom sixth man who was respected and stood equally with these five. Watching old videos, I'd say so myself, I was astonished!"

The director cleared his voice, regaining composure. "Anyway, would it be possible for the six here to reunite as a team for the program? The additional ninth team, The Generation of Miracles will make their small screen début through a twist in the show! And extra profit for everyone, good deal I'd say so myself."

"Yes, we agree with you indeed, director." Akashi replied, uninterested in any other small talk.

With a delighted grin, the director gave a cry of joy. However, a call interrupted his small self-celebration. He excused himself, and the six decided to leave.

"Tetsuya." Akashi said, effectively stopping said boy and the others all at once.

Kuroko stopped and turned around, staring at Akashi for a few moments before walking back to him. "What is it, Akashi-kun?"

Without warning, the said red-haid stepped forward, lifting his right hand to caress Kuroko's pale cheeks. The remaining four watched in confusion and awe, unsure what to think about the situation.

"Is your eye alright?"

He slid his hand up to the white eyepatch, slipping a finger underneath as he tugged it off.

"It's fine." Kuroko replied, unaffected. He hadn't flinched nor backed away, despite his captain's intense gaze. "There's no permanent damage to the eye. A muscle above the eyelid has been severed slightly, but it'll heal within a few weeks."

"Is that so?"

Whether the reply was simply uncaring, calm or even sly - no-one knew. No-one ever knew, what Akashi was thinking.

From a short distance, not so much afar, the forgotten four observed curiously. Aomine grunted, frowning. Kise and Midorima glanced at him, both separately recalling what had happened just before Kuroko came.

* * *

**Approx. 15 minutes ago**

"Aominecchi, why do you keep spacing out?" Kise asked, rather frustrated. He had called the ace's name three times, and he received no reply.

Aomine looked up from the stair he was sitting on, yawning. "S'nothing." he mumbled, hanging his head down. Gosh, was he sleepy or what?

Kise persisted, mostly out of boredom. "I'm pretty sure it's not nothing. You look _reaaally _distracted to me."

"Your eyes have gone bad."

"They have not. You're thinking deeply about something - that's new. So I want to know."

"Ahh, shut up. You're annoying."

Kise pouted, thinking of an insult to throw back. That is, until he suddenly realised something. "Aominecchi, don't tell me...it's about Kurokocchi."

And right on the mark, he flinched, remaining quiet.

"Heh, so you really do care about Kurokocchi after all." Kise teased, feigning surprise to mock him. "Despite what you say."

"Shaddup." Aomine paused, mumbling incoherent curses. "I just remembered about _that_...last year."

Kise went quiet, unable to retort. Everyone knew what he was talking about. It was one of the biggest and most scandalous secrets held within the Generation of Miracles.

"What about it?" Midorima asked, uncharacteristically.

Everyone went quiet for a long minute, as memories of the incident a year ago flowed back to them.

"Tetsu's eye...that's a coincidence, right?" Aomine asked, almost in a whisper. The others glanced at him curiously.

"...I'd hope so." Kise mumbled, looking downcast.

* * *

Aomine had his gaze fixed upon the Kuroko and Akashi, watching them with mixed feelings. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know why he hadn't left earlier.

_"Do you remember that day, during the game?" Kuroko said softly;bitterly. "Throughout the whole game, Akashi-kun's expression hardly changed. He wasn't thrilled, or having fun. Nor was he troubled or surprised. Even at the end of the game, he was __smirking _despite the fact that he lost."  


_"After that match, he told me that he hadn't lost because I was simply another him."_

Kuroko was hiding something. Akashi was hiding everything. Aomine was bright enough to figure out that much. Then came the hard part - hiding what? He knew that his former partnet and captain were hiding a secret from the rest of the Generation of Miracles.

Akashi's actions simply couldn't be understood, and Kuroko's recent change of attitude and accident had triggered a change in both.

Whatever it was, Kuroko's sudden disappearance from the team right after the nationals _was _connected to this. That much he knew. That much he wanted to believe.

Once former team mates, and now reuniting, Aomine didn't want to think of Kuroko as a traitor. Because he wasn't, and there was something more to the clouded truth, hidden by Kuroko himself.

* * *

**A/N: **Cyclamen - 'Goodbye, Resignation'

**Next chapter** - [_Christmas Rose_] - With absolute secrecy and stealth, the Generation of Miracles must sneak out of their lodges and into their own, private lodge. They settle in and _try _to relive old days with much awkwardness.

**Summing up this chapter:** So basically, Kuroko's more or less fine. A very vague and confusing flashback of their Teiko days reveals that AkaKuro are hiding some sort of 'big' secret, and the others want to know what it is. It seems like everything is going downhill for them, but actually, it's just starting.

And...FINALLY! The Generation of Miracles have finally given their final answer, and are reuniting. The next chapter will be much more light-hearted and fluffy than this one, so please look forward to it.

I'm sure it wasn't very clear, but the flashbacks are quite significant in this story. More flashbacks of their Teiko days will be revealed as the story progresses, and secrets will be revealed. The story is finally getting somewhere, so I'm quite greatful to those who've stuck with me. I have so many ideas to share with you guys.

Anyway, please keep in mind that I don't have much time to write anymore, so I kinda just type these chapters up on a whim when I have time to spare, usually late at night. Please excuse any mistakes, I'll come back to fix it if there are any sore ones sticking out here and there.

Don't forget to review, and I'll be back with another chapter, real soon.


	8. Christmas Rose

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took their time to review and followed this story, I was so flattered by your words! Don't forget the A/N, thanks!  
**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Christmas Rose  
**

"Everyone, get up!" Riko shouted, using the old-style method of hitting a ladle against a frying pan.

The loud racket resounded through the lodge, effectively waking up the Seirin members. She went around every room, kicking their doors open with such force that vibrated to the next room.

The walls were thin, Kuroko noted. He woke from his slumber groggily, petting Number two who had also woken in a fright.

"Kuroko-kun, wake up! Riko slammed the door open, throwing the frying pan and ladle away. "Get washed up and dressed in ten minutes. We're gonna train from sunrise to sunset!"

"...Yes._(1)_" Kuroko said, yawning. He got up from the bed, placing Number two on the floor as he flattened out the bed sheets and folded them neatly.

He walked out of the room, greeting Hyuuga, who yet again, told him to tame his bed hair.

"Oh, and drag Kagami out of bed while your at it, will you?"

Kuroko nodded, knocking on Kagami's door before entering.

**Minutes later...  
**

"Arf!" Number two barked, prodding around Kuroko's feet.

Kuroko hushed the puppy, bending down to pet it's head as he smiled softly. "Please stay quiet for a bit." he said, placing a neatly folded shirt into a the large sports bag he had brought with him.

Number two laid down and closed his eyes, as Kuroko turned around to the small lamp table next to the bed. He picked up a picture frame of everyone in Seirin, posing for the camera.

As he stared at it for almost five whole minutes, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Kuroko-kun, come down to the cafeteria after you've changed." Riko said, walking off.

After she left, Kuroko placed a few more neatly folded shirts into the bag, zipping it up. It was a secret to Seirin - that he was going to sneak out later.

The director had told them that they were to move out of their current lodge without the other members of their current teams finding out. Mission possible, no problem.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Alright everyone, let's stop here for today!"

Kuroko was the first to collapse to the ground, completely out of breath and sweating buckets. Others followed straight after, lying down on the comfort of the grass. They had trained for literally, seven hours at most. From nine to four, they had put up will Riko's doubled traning menu with only a few short breaks in between.

"Ugh...so tired." Hyuuga groaned, sitting up. "We'd better go wash ourselves up and get ready for dinner."

The others nodded, as they slowly pulled themselves up off the ground like half-dead zombies. Riko sighed, walking back to the lodges first.

Almost an hour later, everyone had finished showering in the shared bath near the main field. Still tired and sore, yet somewhat refreshed, they headed towards the cafeteria.

Kuroko stopped, "I'll return to the lodge." and turned around, walking back.

Kagami stopped him. "Aren't ya' gonna eat?"

"I'll eat later." he replied, bowing to excuse himself.

The others understood, knowing fully well that the training must've taken a huge toll on his body. They left Kuroko to return, most likely to sleep. Said boy intended to do exactly so.

As he returned back to his room, he checked his phone which had one unread mail.

**The new lodge is located approximately sixty-two metres north-west from Touou's lodge. It's located next to the lake near the stadium so you'll see it right away. **

**Don't get caught****.  
**

** ;1 Attachment(s): F_Map...  
**

**-Midorima  
**

Akashi was obviously not bothered to send the message himself, knowing that Midorima wouldn't have done this out of generosity.

Kuroko found himself smiling slightly, as he suddenly remembered back to the fun, old days at Teiko. Where did things go wrong? As he continued to ponder deep in his thoughts, he quietly finished packing up, as he filled up another bag with his belongings.

The room was empty, and it was going to be suspicious if they found him gone.

Number two barked, snapping Kuroko out of his chain of thoughts. The clock read a little over nine-thirty. The sound of chatter outside in the lounge somewhat surprised him. He hadn't noticed their return.

Shrugging off his worries for the night, he switched off the light and carefully made his way to the bed, mindful of any fallen objects.

"The mini-tournament is on the day after tomorrow..." he whispered, staring at the blank ceiling as he tried to force himself to sleep with an empty, clear mind.

* * *

At six AM sharp the next morning, Kuroko awoke with the help of his alarm turned on at low volume. Yawning as he got out of bed, he glanced over to the bags sitting in the corner of the room.

_"There's nothing left." _he thought to himself, standing up to stretch.

He took the clothes he left out the previous night and changed out of his pajamas. Quietly and almost stealthily, Kuroko picked up his backpack and large sports bag, scanning the room for any leftover items.

Content, he walked towards the door, careful to make sure no-one would wake to notice his departure.

"Arf!"

However, Number two did.

"Shh." Kuroko bent down, as Number two prodded towards him. Petting his head, he stood up to leave again.

"Arf!"

Kuroko spun around to hush the puppy, but froze on the spot. Number two began to whine, as if knowing that his owner was going to leave. Number two seemed to have mustered up the cutest face it could give. It's adorable, round doe eyes sparkling with wetness, and his mouth turned down as if he was frowning-

"..."

Kuroko sighed, picking up the dog. Number two climbed up onto his unruly bed hair, with his tail wagging happily behind.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Where the hell am I?"

Yawning for the umpteenth time that morning, Aomine Daiki was one sleepy and unhappy man. As he walked down the dirt path surrounded by trees, trees and more trees, he cursed his luck.

"What am I wasting my time like this for?" he grumbled, kicking a rock.

Aomine walked a little further, throwing his large sports bag onto the ground. He laid down on his back, lying on the open grass field showered with warm sun rays.

"Aomine-kun?"

He lifted an arm to cover his eyes, as he peeked one open to see the familiar face he knew _much_ too well.

"Tetsu."

"You'll get caught by someone if you sleep here."

"Who cares." Aomine mumbled, closing his eyes.

There was a long pause, as silence fell upon the two. Or whether the blue-haired boy had left, he didn't really care. It wasn't only until a few more seconds later that he found himself springing up.

"Ahh, jeez. I'll go, I'll go." he grumbled, standing up as he picked up his bag.

Kuroko found a small smile forming on his lips. He knew staring at the tanned male was ought to get him up. He had an impeccable stare after all.

And so, they began to walk to their new lodge with much silence. Whether or not it was simply the peaceful atmosphere that made everything worse, Aomine didn't know. He had subconsciously separated himself a metre away behind Kuroko.

"We're here, Aomine-kun."

The lodge seemed no different from the other lodges - to say that would be a lie.

Their new lodge was at least double or maybe even triple the size of the other lodges. Why such a large lodge was built in such an isolated area, no-one would ever know. Maybe it was just a whim on the architect's part.

"It's big, isn't it?" Kuroko commented, walking up to the front door. "It's a two-story house." He looked up, placing his palm upturned above his head.

Aomine raised a brow in fascination, as Number two dropped a set of keys from its mouth. _(Note;Number two was only biting the key ring part of the keys. No puppy saliva there.)_

As the door opened, the two were greeted by their tallest member snacking on something as usual.

"Ah. Kuro-chin, Mine-chin."

Kuroko curtly bowed a few degrees, "Good morning, Murasakibara-kun."

Aomine walked past the two, mumbling a quick 'sup' to the purple-haired teen before opening a random door on the left side of the hallway. He looked inside, before walking in. It was an unoccupied room.

"Has everyone arrived?" Kuroko asked, looking around as he placed his shoes neatly at the entrance. _(2)_

"Aka-chin and Kise-chin haven't come yet." Murasakibara turned around and walked back to his room before stopping at the door. "The master bedroom and second bedroom are upstairs and there's one room left over there."_  
_

Kuroko muttered a thanks, then proceeded to pick up his bag and settle into a room. Thinking to himself for a moment, he decided it would be more convenient to take the last room on the first floor. It was close to the main bathroom.

"Kurokocchi!"

He turned around at the familiar voice, bowing curtly. "Good morning, Kise-kun."

Kise glanced around, "This place is more spacious than I'd thought it would be."

Kuroko nodded, "It is." he paused, "Which room are you going to use?"

"What's left?"

"The room over there and the master and second bedroom upstairs." Kuroko said, repeating what Murasakibara had told him. "I was thinking of using this room." he added in, walking towards the last room on the first floor.

Kise's face paled. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!" he cried, almost in desperation. He grabbed Kuroko's shoulders, bending down slightly as he spoke in a whisper.

"Please don't let me be alone up there with our captain."

Kuroko looked at him questioningly. "Why?" He did know why;he asked anyway.

Kise mustered up his puppy-dog face, which proved to be useless against the blue-haired boy. "Pleaaaaaaase, Kurokocchi. Let me use this room."

A brief awkward silence fell upon them, as the latter said nothing. He stared at Kise with his usual deadpan expression.

"...Kurokocchi?"

"I'll go upstairs then." Kuroko finally replied, spinning on his heels.

Kise remained unmoving for a moment, wondering if he had said something wrong. "...is he mad at me?"

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

The second floor was relatively smaller compared to the first floor. The floor, decorated with a patterned carpet, was rectangle in shape. On the left side, there were two doors, with one labelled 'TOILET'. On the right side, there was a mahogany coloured door with beautifully engraved patterns. Kuroko assumed that was the master bedroom. There was another door labelled 'STUDY'.

Kuroko walked towards to what he assumed was going to be his room. A soft smile found its way unto his face, as he looked outside the large glass window that replaced the wall at the end of the hallway.

_"I could get used to this scenery."_

Outside the window, he could oversee the trees and forest land at a much higher angle. Moreover, there was a lake just a few metres away from their lodge;it was stunningly beautiful.

Appreciating nature's beauty for a while longer, he found himself yawning - and Number Two asleep on the floor. Picking up the puppy, Kuroko walked inside the room.

On the desk, there was a blank, wooden door tag. He stared at it for a few seconds, before looking around for a marker - which a black one was conveniently lying in the drawer.

Somewhat neatly, he carefully wrote; **_'Kuroko's_**_** room**'_. Glancing at Number two sleeping on the floor, he drew a small paw print next to his name.

He yawned again, eying the bed after hanging up the door tag. Closing the door with a soft click, he pulled off the hooded jacket he had been wearing and threw it aside. After changing into a pair of pajama pants, he fell back onto the bed;eyes fluttering to a close.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Later that morning, a little after ten, Kuroko awoke with a grumbling stomach. Checking the time, he sat up and yawned, stretching his arms. He had skipped dinner the night before, so it was no surprise.

He absent mindlessly wondered if there was anything to eat in the fridge downstairs in the kitchen. After all, it was quite the marathon to the cafeteria at their new lodge.

As he stepped outside his room with a pair of indigo blue slippers, all was quiet. Deeming that everyone was most likely still sleeping, he quietly tip-toed down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone.

Downstairs in the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator, in hopes of any ingredients for a light breakfast. There were a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, milk, butter, other things, and some fruits and vegetables in their respective compartments.

Thinking of what he could make with them, he closed the fridge and opened the freezer, in hopes that he could simply defrost something.

"Tetsuya,"

Kuroko spun around, bowing politely as he saw Akashi, followed by a sleepy looking Murasakibara.

"Good morning."

Akashi nodded, stopping as Murasakibara went over and slumped down onto the cream coloured sofa.

"Are you making breakfast?"

Kuroko nodded, "Yes. Shall I make some for the two of you?"

"Anything's fine." he said curtly, turning away to join Murasakibara on the sofa. He turned the television on, switching the channel to the morning news.

Kuroko unknowingly found himself smiling softly. Only in front of his trusted and respected members, Akashi would show his rather 'human' side from time to time. Turning back to the freezer, he pulled out a packet of frozen waffles.

Waffles were nice - for Murasakibara especially.

Most male teenagers Kuroko's age couldn't cook, let alone boil a pot of instant noodles. However, Kuroko had to learn to fend for himself when he entered his third year of middle school. His parents had been leaving on business trips much more frequently, thus leaving him to learn how to cook from the very basics.

Rice.

He pondered for a second, wondering what to make. Until his third year at Teiko, Kuroko only had confidence in his omelet making skills. With eggs, he could make wonders. But with so many other ingredients he could make-

"Ah, Kurokocchi's cooking?"

"Yes."

Kise grinned, "Don't forget my share!" He walked over to the sofa, greeting the other two.

Midorima followed in shortly after, yet to tape his fingers. Though, he was holding a small roll of thin bandages. Kuroko knew Midorima wouldn't ask him to make breakfast. It would just hurt his pride.

"Does everyone want western or Japanese?" Kuroko asked, wondering what type of breakfast to make to fit their tastes.

"Sweets."

"Western gourmet!"

"..."

"Japanese."

Kuroko heaved a sigh, knowing that he should've expected such answers. He personally felt like a western style breakfast, but...-

"Just make it western."

Aomine walked into the kitchen-lounge, not bothering to cover his mouth as he yawned. Scratching the back of his head lazily, he proceeded to lazily greet the other members, and threw Kise off the sofa.

"First thing in the morning, Aominecchi!"

Everyone ignored the model, not really concerned at all.

"French toast it is." Kuroko muttered to himself, cracking open a few eggs into a bowl.

The morning passed by without a hitch, as Kuroko found himself enjoying his time in the kitchen. Brushing Kise away every time the blond tried to intervene with his cooking (out of curiousity), Kuroko secretly experimented with new recipes he had seen on TV.

"Breakfast is ready."

Everyone snapped their eyes open from their tired morning slumber, as the droning news reporter continued on with his boring facts. Everyone shot up immediately, rushing towards the dining table.

"Amazing. Kuro-chin made all of this?" Murasakibara asked, eying the maple-syrup glazed fruit and waffles.

Kuroko sat down in a random seat, which just happened to be opposite of Aomine - like they always had been in the cafeteria back in Teiko.

"Itadakimasu."

The six found themselves eating in an awkward silence, silently savoring their fellow members' cooking.

"Tetsu, what's this?" Aomine stabbed a shriveled up dark red-thingy with his fork, looking at it curiously.

"That's an organic sun-dried tomato with basil, Aomine-kun."

Kise snorted. "Ehh. Aominecchi didn't even know that?"

"I'm not a pansy model like you." Aomine snarled, messily scarfing down the food on his plate.

"Hey- what's me being a model got to do with anything?"

As the two old friends began to argue, the atmosphere around the table slightly lifted. Or so, that's what Kuroko had felt. With the news broadcast finally ending in the background, a music program came on, blaring the latest pop music as they ate their breakfast. Kuroko wasn't so sure about reliving their old Teiko days. He, out of all people, knew it was impossible to return to those days, no matter how much he yearned for them.

After all, the impossible was always going to be impossible, until someone tore that philosophy down.

However, a small spark set alight inside his chest, as he began to think to himself.

_"This kind of lifestyle...isn't so bad."_

* * *

As everyone finished up, they followed Akashi's example and placed their plates in the sink. They could decide with scissors, paper, rock and wash it later. As Kuroko finished up wiping up the table of any bread crumbs and such, Akashi stopped anyone from returning back to their rooms.

"Sit." he ordered;everyone obeyed without question.

Akashi threw a thin booklet onto the coffee table, which had magically appeared from underneath a pillow. Everyone stared at it curiously, as Midorima picked it up to read the contents.

"...what is this?"

"A script of tomorrow."

Almost in unison, everyone asked, "Script?"

"I assume that we require no rehearsal for this, so I just wanted to inform you all. Also, I want each and every single one of you to review your academic knowledge." Akashi replied without hesitation, standing up from the sofa.

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko said, also standing to meet the red-heads' gaze, "Don't tell me, tomorrow's mini-tournament is going to be..."

Akashi nodded, as a small smirk appeared on his lips. "I will personally test you all tonight. One wrong answer equals twice of your upcoming training menu."

Everyone paled, knowing fully well, that their captain was blatantly threatening them. And so naturally at that.

The Generation of Miracles were strong, no doubt. A strong team needed a strong leader to keep them from falling apart, and Akashi was solely that. He had faith in his intellectual ability, and he wasn't going to lower his pride because of a measly test of knowledge.

He really, could only say - "Bring it on."

* * *

**A/N: **Christmas Rose - 'Allay my disquiet'_  
_

**Next Chapter** - [_Manchineel_] - The mini-tournament has arrived and the Generation of Miracles finally make their long-awaited debut through the small screen! However, some are feeling betrayed and torn against their so-called 'team mates'. Hostility, guilt and confusion ensues with much awing in the process.

Finally, eight chapters into the stor, and I'm finally going to get somewhere in the next chapter! Thanks to those who've kept reading so far, I appreciate it. This chapter really was just sort of like an intermission from their old teams to their reformation. More of the GoM's privacy in their new lodge will be invaded later~ :D

I could've added a bit more at the end there, but I decided not to. I apologise if anyone is disappointed at the lack of progress and all, but it's finally starting to move. Thanks again folks, I'll be back with another chapter real soon. (Please excuse any mistakes or typos I made, I'll come back to fix it sometime.)

_(1)_ - Just to note, every time he says 'yes' here, he's basically saying 'hai' in Japanese. I couldn't really think of any other way to express that.

_(2)_ - The entrance (or 'Genkan') is a level below the actual house. It's a normal thing in Japanese homes. Courtesy of their culture, I decided to add that in.

ALSO! IF you haven't already, please do check out my new two-shot KuroBasu fic: 'Lascivious Joy, Fully Exposed'. Just go to my profile and find it there. That update will come before chapter nine.

Review - Longer and faster update!


	9. Machineel

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who took their time to review and followed this story, I received such an explosive response. Don't forget the A/N, thanks!**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: _****I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Manchineel**

"Oi Kuroko," Kagami said, his voice hinting annoyance, "where the hell did you go?"

Kuroko walked into Seirin's locker room, bowing as he did. "Good morning. I apologise for my sudden disappearance."

"Never mind that, hurry up and get ready so we can head out!" Riko ordered, slamming the door open.

Everyone abandoned their bags on the benches rather than in the lockers, and walked out - a few greeting Kuroko as they did. Kagami, who hadn't been satisfied with his unanswered question, approached the blue-haired boy once again.

"Your room was empty."

Kuroko nodded, unable to reply. He knew this was going to happen - he just hadn't thought of a good enough excuse.

"It was. I'll tell you later, Kagami-kun. Moreover, today's finally the mini-tournament. Where did all of your determination go?"

"Shut up. It's all in here." Kagami bumped a fist to his chest, grinning as he walked out into the open stadium.

Out in the stadium, all eight teams gathered into the middle, lining up in long rows of eight. Seirin had lined up third from the front, waiting patiently for the director to come and brief them in on the details of the mini-tournament.

A few rows behind, Kuroko's ears picked up whispers, barely audible against the loud chattering of everyone else in the stadium.

_"Oi, the captain's not here."_

_"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Akashi at all this morning."_

Kuroko averted his attention elsewhere, knowing that all the other teams with a member of the Generation of Miracles were bound to make a fuss out of their sudden disappearance.

A few moments later, the director came forward, clearing his throat as he did. His briefing of the days' matches was shorter than usual, as he exclaimed, "Our MC will explain the rest of today's plans."

The filming process began, and the MC stepped forward with a rather grim expression.

"Today, one of the eight teams standing here, will be eliminated."

Whispers broke out, as confusion washed over every man standing. Elimination wasn't possible in a mini-tournament. Or so, that's what they were told.

"The hell?" Hyuuga commented, dumbfounded at the sudden, and rather random announcement.

"However, that's not the only surprise for today." The MC paused, smirking as she did. "Each team will be given approximately one hour to train and return to here, with only one clue to today's mini-tournament."

In the crowd of teams, there were a select few who didn't need the suspense, nor clue to figure out what was going to cause the elimination or what type of event it was going to be.

"The clue is, _speed_. Your one hour, starts now!"

Everyone dispersed; each team running off in their own direction.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

In the comfort of his new, master bedroom, Akashi sat back in his leather chair, casually tossing two shogi pieces in his hands. He caught the two pieces and placed the king in the centre file.

He smirked and stood up, walking past the window. Sunlight poured into the room, as it bathed his figure clad in a golden glow. Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, he walked over the bed and stripped off his black shirt.

_"It's time." _he idly thought to himself, as he slipped on a new basketball jersey.

Akashi threw the black shirt aside, as he picked up a jacket, matching perfectly with his new jersey. Slipping into it, he walked out of the room and closed the door with a soft click.

It was time. Time to take the nation by storm once again.

* * *

Exactly after an hour, every team had been called back to the stadium. They returned to their orderly eight rows, as the MC stepped up with the cameras going into action.

"As you all know, one team will be eliminated and on their way home by the end of this tournament. Today, a ninth team has graced us with their almighty presence, and will be taking the position of one of the eight teams here!"

Before anyone could react to such a line, the stadium doors flew open with a loud bang. Everyone spun their heads or turned around, curious at the new and rather explosive intrusion.

"Akashi...Seijuuro?"

They were presented with the red-head - his gaze sharp as he nonchalantly walked into the stadium, seemingly uncaring of all the attention he was receiving. Rather, he enjoyed the idea of being the centre of attention. It made everything so much more dramatic.

As he continued to walk forward down the centre, words were unneeded as the eight teams all parted like the red sea. Half on the left, and half on the right, it was almost as if Akashi had his own personal stage area.

"What is he doing?" Takao whispered. He paused, as he glanced at his team mate from the corner of his eye.

Midorima didn't really want to reply, so he didn't bother. After all, his question was going to be revealed without the need of his explanation.

Similarly, almost every other team present stared curiously at Akashi, who had made his way to the front. Kagami couldn't help but raise a brow.

"The hell's going on?" Kagami growled, frustrated at the confusion. "Oi Kuroko, why's he there?"

However, after he received no reply, he turned to the side and looked down at the blue-haired boy who remained silent, staring at his former captain. Though it was left unsaid, Kagami had a strange assumption, that his partner was going to do something unfavourable. And he was going to regret it if he didn't stop him now.

"Kuroko-"

Before he could continue any further, Kuroko looked down - his hair shadowing his eyes, as he whispered a soft, "Sorry."

"Huh?"

Kuroko kept his head low, as he excused his way out of the crowd.

"Kuroko?" Hyuuga only had the chance to say his name and nothing further, as his eyes widened impossibly. Along with everyone else.

"Please welcome, the official addition of the ninth team, the _Generation of Miracles_!"

Right in the centre of attention, stood five nationally recognised prodigies along with their phantom sixth man - their expert. Guided and lead by the most feared person in the national youth basketball circuit, the Generation of Miracles gathered, standing behind their almighty, respected leader.

"No way." some whispered, their voices shaking - almost quivering.

Their aura was not too far off, of an impeccable fortress, ominously looming over _everything _that stood under its shadow.

"Stop messing around!"

However, mixed amongst the quaking fear, was anger and confusion. Dare say, a few were in fact rather amused by the sudden turn of events.

Kagami was the first to burst, unable to hold back his frustration and confusion. Was he hearing and seeing things right?

"Kuroko, you bastard!"

Was this betrayal?

Everyone turned their heads to the infamous hot-head of Seirin. Kuroko - the cause of his outburst - frowned, glancing at his now former teammate from the corner of his eye.

"Oi Kuroko, don't ignore me!"

_"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun."_

Hyuuga heaved a heavy sigh, unable to remain silent any longer. As Kagami tried to push his way out of the crowd to the front, he grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"Stay calm, Kagami!"

Said teen turned around, almost growling like a beast. "Don't stop me-"

His words came to a halt, when he turned to face Hyuuga - and the rest of the team, who all had their gazes locked downcast.

"I know you're angry, Kagami, but at least _try _to stay calm."

However, anyone could see Hyuuga mentally fighting against his own inner dilemma. He too, was angry. And quite considerably at that. Though, _everyone_ was perplexed and angry - because they felt betrayed.

Betrayed because they didn't know why. Why their respected team mate would leave them like this.

"It's only a reality show. I'm sure Kuroko-kun has his reasons." Riko said quietly, reassuring her team and herself while she was at it.

Many found themselves having a hard time accepting the situation. There had been rumours of the Generation of Miracles disbanding at the end of middle school, which the high school circuit sighed in relief at. However, it _was _possible to wonder. What if there was more to their simple disbandment? What if-

What if they had never actually parted ways in the first place?

Parting ways was only two things - forever or temporary. Even though each member of the Generation of Miracles had split up and gone into separate schools in high school, many of these teams couldn't quite figure out a single one of them.

And alas, a new rumour had begun to spread. The Generation of Miracles had broken up, not only because they were ultimately undefeated as a team, but because there had been an internal dispute.

There was a secret that would stay buried in the past forever, unless it was dug up and extracted from the depths of their utmost privacy

* * *

"Today's mini-tournament is a speed quiz battle!"

A few groans, gasps and clicks of tongues were heard. It was safe to assume, that many had gone and misinterpreted the clue. The MC began to explain the rules and point system.

"Ultimately, the team with the least points will be packing their bags and going home. Keep in mind, that your performance in all mini-tournaments will affect your ranking and placement in the next official tournament."

As instructed, the eight teams lined up in straight rows, with the captain standing at the front of the line. They were waiting for the director to give his cue.

"Hm..." Kise mumbled, scratching his head. "So basically, when we get a question, we run onto the court and dribble the ball and dunk it into the hoop?"

Kuroko nodded, "And if you answer correctly, you get the point."

Not long after, the director gave his cue and the referee stood in the middle of the court with a ball. Each team braced themselves, as the referee put the whistle to his mouth.

"Do not let _anyone else_ take the ball." Akashi murmured, walking to the back of the line casually.

The other five exchanged knowing glances, as they silently obeyed their captain. Just at that moment, the large LCD screen on the wall of the stadium flickered on, presenting a question written in bold black letters against a normal white background.

Many stared at the question in confusion.

"...seriously?" someone blurted out, his mouth slightly agape.

The referee blew the whistle and threw the basketball into the air. Without a single moments of hesitation, Kise dashed forward for the ball and dunked it into the hoop. Everyone else stood in awe.

"The answer is fourteen!" Kise shouted out, smirking as the number fourteen flashed onto the screen.

"Whoa. As expected, the Generation of Miracles take the first point of the day!"

Kise walked back, as the referee returned to the centre of the court. Though as he did, he found himself staring at Akashi's jersey.

"Ne, Akashicchi, that jersey your wearing..."

Kuroko and the others turned to their captain, all curious themselves.

"Yes, it's ours. They arrived this morning at the lodge." Akashi replied, glancing down at what he was wearing.

The jersey was a simple white with crystal-blue along the sides. And printed on the front of the jersey was the words 'KISEKI' in bold black letters. It was somewhat similar to their Teiko jersey, but their new one had a more upgraded feeling to it.

The next question flashed onto the screen, and quite a few got ready to run.

**What was the name of the player who introduced the 'no foul' area on the court?**

"What's up with this question? Even I can answer it." Aomine said, yawning.

"So, who's going to go?" Kuroko asked. He knew he couldn't. After all, speed wasn't exactly his thing.

Everyone paused for a second, until Akashi spoke up. "Daiki, you will go."

Aomine grumbled something incomprehensible as he went up to the front. The other teams gulped in fear, as they glanced at the ace.

As the referee blew the whistle, Aomine yawned again, forgetting to run.

"Aominecchi!"

A feral smirk appeared on his face, as his eyes darkened. It was really, in the blink of an eye that he disappeared. Kasamatsu had taken the ball, and was trying to manoeuvre around other players on the court. His chance for Kaijo's first point was stolen, as the ball was violently ripped from his clutch.

"Crap!"

Aomine shouted out the answer and dunked the ball into the hoop, almost tearing it down in the process. Thankfully, the hoop remained in place after a few dangerous creaks.

His answer was proven to be correct on the screen. He walked back to the team lazily, stretching his arms.

"You should've stretched before, Aomine-kun." Kuroko said, glancing at the tanned male.

"It's not a match anyway." said player replied, yawning for the umpteenth time that morning. "Ahh...so sleepy."

The mini-tournament continued, as the Generation of Miracles continued to dominate the speed quiz. Most teams had become discouraged, but not a single one gave up. It was only until the last eight minutes of the game that they found hope.

The Generation of Miracles stopped competing. Why they stopped, seemed quite obvious. Akashi was sitting on the bench with his arms folded, with Murasakibara next to him eating a pack of chips. Midorima sat next to him, polishing his small racoon statue. The remaining three, namely, the former 'best friend trio' stood at the back, arguing over something. Though, it was mostly Kise and Aomine doing the arguing with Kuroko caught up in the middle as always.

As the next question flashed onto the screen, all of the other eight teams braced themselves, knowingly fully well that now they all had a somewhat equal chance of getting the ball.

As the whistle blew, eight people ran out for the ball, as the MC commented on the fiery spirit of the teams who had yet to give up.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

The mini-tournament had finished, with the Generation of Miracles in the lead with more than half of the total points, Rakuzan in second, Touou third, Shuutoku fourth, Kaijo fifth, Seirin sixth, Yosen seventh and eighth place went to Seiho.

Thus, the remaining team, Fukuda Sogo who did not manage to acquire a single point, was eliminated from the program.

All nine teams lined up in orderly, neat rows with the winning team at the very front. Standing before them was the MC, who held a large box wrapped in a large, green ribbon.

"The winners for today's mini-tournament is team Kiseki! And as promised, there will be a great prize to behold."

The box was presented to Midorima, but he refused to hold it as it required two hands. His left hand was already occupied with his lucky item. Kise stepped forward and took it instead.

"The prize is a herb set specially picked from the northern area of Honshuu, as well as a three-day return home!"

Although the prize-winners themselves didn't have any special reactions, the other teams all mentally sighed in relief. They were glad it wasn't an advantage for the next official match. The Generation of Miracles already had a significant advantage both physically and mentally.

As the MC wrapped up the filming, Akashi spun around and walked past the other teams. Naturally, the rest of the team followed, as they walked out of the stadium unaffected by the sheer silence and stares directed at them.

The other teams stood wondering for a moment or two. Now that the Generation of Miracles had reunited, were they really that insignificant? Were they really not worthy enough to even receive a single glance?

With the atmosphere heavy and somewhat solemn, the doors shut with a loud clang.

* * *

Outside, the six walked in silence as they walked back to their lodge.

"Ne, Kurokocchi, what are you gonna do during the three days?" Kise asked, still holding the large herb set.

Kuroko hummed, thinking to himself for a moment. "I'm not sure. I have to call my parents to let them know I'm coming back though."

Kise hummed in understanding, sighing as he knew _exactly_ what he was going to do. Kuroko caught on, asking the blond for the sake of it.

"What about you, Kise-kun?

Kise heaved another sigh, "I have to catch up on a lot of work. My manager has probably saved up a lot of photo shoots for my return."

Kuroko smiled. "Good luck."

As they returned to the lodge, each person went off to their rooms to start packing for their short trip back home. It wasn't much, but it was a chance to catch up on their city lives.

In Kuroko's room, Number Two began to bark, as Kuroko pulled out his bags from the closet.

"No, I'm not leaving this time. It's just a short break." he reassured the puppy, who whined in reply.

Kuroko bent down and pet Number two's head, smiling softly. Suddenly, his hand stopped moving as he remembered something _very _important. And as if Number Two had read Kuroko's mind, the puppy dashed out of Kuroko's room and down the stairs.

"Ah..."

Sighing, he stood up and followed, knowingly fully well that Number Two really only liked him out of the whole team.

Downstairs, there was no-one as expected. They were all in their rooms either resting or packing. Number two barked, as he sat on the sofa in the lounge.

"Come here." Kuroko bent down slightly, extending out his hands.

Number two ran into his owner's arms, wagging his tail in content. Kuroko stood straight and turned around, walking towards the front door.

"Tetsuya."

Although, again, before he could accomplish what he wanted to do, he was interrupted.

"Akashi-kun."

The red head walked down the stairs, changed into a long-sleeved light orange shirt and khaki coloured shorts.

"Where do you plan on going?" Akashi asked, in a seemingly light-hearted, curious tone. Kuroko knew better.

"To ask for a favour." He couldn't lie. It was Akashi after all. "Please excuse me." Without glancing back, Kuroko quickly slipped on a pair of sneakers and stepped outside.

* * *

After the Generation of Miracles left, everyone else began to leave. The stadium once again, was filled with murmurs and chattering.

"Oi, Seirin."

Said team spun around.

"Ah, it's you. Kaijo's Kasamatsu." Hyuuga said, "What's up?"

Kasamatsu frowned. "About Kuroko...did he tell you about any of this?"

Kagami tensed up again, which didn't go unnoticed by the people around him. Izumi quickly cut in.

"No he didn't. I'm assuming Kise didn't inform you either?"

Kasamatsu nodded. "Yeah. It seems that all of them were keeping this secret. Sorry, that's all I wanted to ask." he excused himself and jogged off to catch up with his team.

Everyone stood silent for a moment, unable to regain their happy spirits that they survived the mini-tournament.

Riko frowned, thinking of a good way to cheer them up. "Now, now! Let's hurry up and go back. I'm cooking dinner tonight!"

Everyone gasped, losing the colour in their skin.

As Seirin returned to their lodge, Riko paused, fishing out the keys from her pocket whilst Koganei and Tsuchida tried to convince their coach not to cook.

"Um, excuse me..."

Everyone froze, slowly turning to the all too familiar voice.

"Kuroko!" Kagami bellowed, snapping immediately. "Why are you here?" he growled, clearly uninviting.

Kuroko's stoic expression did not waver, even as the red-head glared at him. Without hesitation, he bowed over ninety degrees, holding Number two in his arms.

"I apologise profusely for my actions." he paused, "However, I cannot tell you everything just yet."

He raised his head, looking straight at his now former team mates. "When the time is right, I promise to explain everything."

"Do you really think-...when the time is right? Don't be stupid, Kuroko."

Kuroko frowned. "Even I...did not expected this to happen. I'm also quite confused."

"Kuroko, you..." Kagami growled, unsatisfied with any answer unless it explained the situation.

Riko smacked the back of his head. "Calm down, Bakagami!" she turned to Kuroko, with a softened expression. "It's okay, Kuroko-kun. I'm sure you have your reasons."

Just a fraction, Kuroko's eyes widened. He knew Seirin was just the place for him, but he didn't think it would ever turn out this way.

He didn't think they were so forgiving; he had betrayed them, and yet, here they were softly smiling at him in forgiveness.

"You'll always be a part of Seirin, even if you're not physically here." Hyuuga said. He knew, that it was impossible to hate the blue-haired boy.

"So, what brings you here?"

Kuroko held out Number two, who barked happily. "I wanted to ask for a favour. Would be possible to keep him here for the period of my absence here?"

Koganei raised a brow. "Why not just take him with you?"

"To be honest, I've been keeping him in secret at home. My parents are coming back for my return, but they don't really like pets..."

"Sure, it's-"

"No, no, no! Never!" Kagami shouted, backing way a few metres. "Get rid of that _thing_!"

Everyone ignored him. Riko took the puppy, smiling as she hugged Number two to her chest.

"We'll take good care of it!"

Kuroko bowed again, smiling as he did. "Thank you very much. I'll pay back this favour on my return."

Eventually, everyone waved goodbye to their former team mate. Once they had gone into the lodge, Kagami turned around and spared a curt glance, as Kuroko stared back at the red-haired male.

The sky became painted with a deep orange, as the sun began to go down. The flocks of squawking birds seemed to signal the nearing of night, as a cool breeze brushed against their skin.

"See you, Kagami-kun."

* * *

**A/N: **Machineel – '_Betrayal_'.

******Next Chapter** – [Yellow Water Lily] – The Generation of Miracles go back home. An unexpected phone call becomes the catalyst for Kuroko's disconnection, and a major change to the team is foreboded.

Hello! I apologise for my superbly late update. My internet modem kinda screwed up and the internet was down for a while. But no worries, I'm back!

I don't really know what to comment on about this chapter... I'll leave the commenting to you guys. Also, please try to ignore any mistakes, as I haven't proof-read it properly. The next chapter, however, is going to be a more emotional one, if you haven't already guessed so.

But again, thanks to everyone who has shown their support for Periwinkle! And also, one VERY IMPORTANT announcement:

**There is now a poll on my profile for everyone regarding the main pairing for this fic.** Please go ahead and vote away for your OTP! The poll will be open until chapter eleven. After the main pairing, there will be minor pairings that will have their respective chapters depending on the amount of votes they receive.

Thanks again, please spare a minute or two of your time to drop a review and vote.


	10. Yellow Water Lily

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continuously showed their support for Periwinkle! Please don't forget to read the A/N after the chapter, thanks.**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Yellow Water Lily**

"See you in three days!"

"Likewise."

Kise waved goodbye to Kuroko, as his manager came to pick him up from the drop-off location. Kuroko bowed curtly and spun on his heels, eager to get back home. It was going to take a ten minute train ride to his neighbourhood, and then another ten to walk back home.

The others had already gone off their own ways via bus or subway. Kuroko contemplated with catching a taxi to his house, but he dismissed the thought when he realised he didn't have enough money to spare.

As he waited on the platform, he recalled the phone conversation with his mother just the night before. Fortunately, she and his father were coming back from their two-month long business trip just in time for his return.

His mind wandered off in thought as he boarded the train. The last time he had seen his parents had obviously, been a good two months. Before that, they were only home for a few weeks upon their return from a month-long business trip.

His parents worked at an internationally recognised interior and industrial designing company, where the CEO was his mother's younger brother. Namely, his uncle who loved to baby him whenever he got the chance to. Not that he really could though.

Suddenly, a yawn broke out from his mouth – breaking him from his thoughts. He hadn't noticed how tired he was. Neither had he noticed that the train had already arrived at his stop. Before the train departed again, he picked up his heavy bags and quickly scampered off.

It wasn't long, before Kuroko found himself already at the doorstep of his home. He unlocked the door with the spare key under the flower pot and walked in, taking off his shoes as he said, "I'm home."

Though, he knew nobody was home to reply to his return. His parents probably weren't going to be back until a little past dinner time.

Shaking off all thoughts, Kuroko threw his bags down, stripped off his jacket and collapsed onto his bed. Yawning for the second time that afternoon, he closed his eyes, deciding to get some rest before anything else.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

By the time Kuroko had woken up, the sky had already turned dark. Groggily, he pulled himself up and glanced at his phone.

"6:32..." he murmured, yawning.

Suddenly, the house phone rang. He hadn't heard the house phone ring since almost half a year ago. Everyone relied on their mobile phones now.

"Hello, this is Kuroko speaking." he answered, as he picked up the receiver.

An unfamiliar voice replied back to him from the other line. He couldn't recognise the voice. He could however, recognise the other, frantic voices in the background.

His hands went cold and and his body froze like a statue - as he recalled something his father had once told him when he was younger.

_'If a stranger calls home, hang up. Because surely, it'll be the harbinger of bad news.'_

* * *

Midorima yawned, as he pushed up his glasses. It was still rather early in the morning for anyone to be up on a weekend. However, he had his oha-asa daily horoscope to watch - he couldn't possibly miss that.

_"The lucky horoscope for today, is cancer! Today you'll be able to sit back and relax, like you couldn't do before! However, watch out for the flip side. Someone close to you might be feeling a bit down. Notice the subtle hints they give you and you might get closer than ever!"_

Midorima glanced at the clock. It was still eight thirty in the morning.

_"You're lucky item for today is a monkey strap!" _

His phone had a small monkey phone charm decorating it. Either way, it was the same thing. All of a sudden, his phone started vibrating. He picked up the phone, wondering who on earth would call him at such an early hour in the morning. When he saw the caller ID, he rose a brow.

"Kuroko?"

Nonetheless, he pushed back every other thought and accepted the call.

"Hello?"

_"Ah, good morning, Midorima-kun. Sorry for bothering you so early in the morning."_

Midorima heaved a sigh. "It's fine. I'm already awake. What did you want?"

Kuroko seemed to hesitate. _"Quite a while ago, you had a bottle of perfume as your lucky item. I was wondering if you could tell me where you obtained that."_

Midorima's brow rose once again. "Mitsukoshi department store, on the third level." he paused, wondering if he should ask-

_"Thank you very much, Midorima-kun. Sorry I bothered you. See you."_

However, before Midorima could say anything else, the blue-haired boy had already hung up with a click. He pushed away his curious thoughts, noting that it wasn't worth his time.

* * *

Later in the morning at around ten, one could spot Murasakibara coming out of the convenience store with a bagful of sweets and snacks. To anyone who knew him, it wasn't surprising. To anyone else, it was a few curious stares here and there.

As he made his way back home past the station, he accidentally bumped into someone and knocked them down. Or rather in this case, someone out of his vision had bumped into him.

"Sorry, please excuse me."

Murasakibara looked down - only because he recognised this voice.

"Ah. Kuro-chin."

Said boy looked up, with his usual stoic demeanor. "Murasakibara-kun? Hello."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, as an uncomfortable silence passed by them. Suddenly, Murasakibara lifted his hand and placed it on Kuroko's head, ruffling the light-blue hair in every direction.

"Please stop that." Kuroko said, looking slightly irritated.

Murasakibara smiled. Or maybe it was a smirk. He knew Kuroko hated it when people ruffled his hair like that. Anyone could presume it wasn't about his hair messing up, it was about how it was as if he was being belittled.

"Where are you going?" Murasakibara asked, as Kuroko stepped back for distance. He was already feeling neck pain from looking up.

"To the department store. I have some business to attend to, so I'll have to excuse myself here. See you."

And with that, he walked off towards the station entrance. Murasakibara shrugged it off and resumed his return home as he tore open a bar of chocolate.

* * *

Like any other Saturday afternoon, every nook and cranny of the city was cramped with bustling crowds of people walking or hanging about. In the midst of this crowd, a small stature with light blue-hair had somehow miraculously gotten through into the department store.

As Kuroko rode the escalator up to the second floor, one would speculate that he was in deep thought or simply daydreaming. So it was only natural that he couldn't hear a voice calling out his name multiple times.

"Tetsuya?"

Kuroko's head snapped up, as his usual dull, blue eyes stared at the all-too familiar person he that knew was Akashi.

"Hello, Akashi-kun." he paused, "What brings you here?"

"Some business. Though, I should be directing that question back to you."

Kuroko looked around, before deciding to answer. "I came to buy perfume." his words held a hint of impatience.

Akashi stared at him, almost raising a brow in curiosity.

"I see. I suppose I'll see you soon."

Kuroko bowed a few degrees, as he somewhat hastily walked past his captain. Akashi spared a single glance back at his team mate from the corner of his eye, as he lingered around a few seconds longer after Kuroko's abrupt meeting and departure.

Like the missing piece of a puzzle, something was missing from the picture. With his eyes that could see _everything_, for the first time in his life, Akashi felt unsettled. No matter how well you fit the pieces together, it would be impossible to see the whole picture if completion in itself was impossible.

Despite his realisation that something was terribly off, he couldn't completely annihilate the feeling, that this time, he wasn't going to be able to predict or see past this situation.

A situation, that wasn't going to sit well with their newly reformed team.

* * *

**Five days later**

The Generation of Miracles initial return to the program had been two days ago, as the director had said. Hence, they had returned and found themselves thrust into another meeting.

All except one.

Yawns and tired groans could be heard from almost every person in the hall. It was a dark and gloomy, rainy day. Half a days worth of filming was cancelled due to the program's safety policies, and so, most teams had spent their morning sleeping in or lazing around.

"I really wonder where Kurokocchi is." Kise pouted, "He didn't turn up at the meeting spot. I wonder if something happened?"

Aomine yawned, mumbling a few incoherent complaints. He could care less about anything else other than sleep. "Who cares. He'll turn up sooner or later."

"I know, but..."

Kise trailed off, as he pushed away other thoughts. As he idly looked through his phone, the sound of the hall doors creaking open caught his ears. Only a few people near the back noticed or cared to spare a glance at the figure quietly walking in.

"Ahh!"

Kise's voice alarmed most. Aomine and Midorima shot him an annoyed look.

"You're noisy, Kise." Midorima said, clear with irritation.

Said model proceeded to ignore the shooter, as his mouth gaped open. Curious, Midorima, as well as the others, averted their attention to the entrance, where they realised the reason for his outburst.

"...Tetsu?"

Kuroko curtly bowed forty-five degrees, "Hello. I apologise for being late."

It wasn't Kuroko's presence that had surprised everyone. Nor was it he, himself. Rather, it was how he presented himself, that had everyone staring at him in great curiousity and interest.

"...what's with that getup, Kurokocchi?"

Simply putting it, Kuroko had adorned clothes in the merry colour of his name. From black pants, black leather shoes, a black button up shirt, and to an unzipped black safari jacket. The heavy contrast of his clothes to his skin and hair made him look sickly pale.

"Alright, quiet down!" the director ordered, as he clapped his hands together for attention.

Kuroko left his umbrella in the bucket next to the door and joined his team. He paid no attention to the curious stares people gave him.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Is it strange?"

-was Kuroko's reply, when Kise had hesitantly asked about his all-black getup. Others were curious too, but tried not to show it on their faces.

"Well, uh...only because it's...a fairly new style for Kurokocchi."

But many had to say, it didn't look bad at all. In fact, the formal look quite suited Kuroko, save for his messy hair. Silence fell upon the group, as they walked back to their lodge, careful to avoid puddles of mud and water around the forest path.

"Then it's fine." Kuroko said finally, summing up their conversation.

As they arrived at the lodge, they returned to their rooms, with the exception of Murasakibara who walked towards the kitchen pantry to fish out some sweets to snack on. And rather awkwardly, Kuroko and Akashi walked up the stairs in silence, yet again.

"Tetsuya." Akashi said, as he paused at his door. His back was faced towards Kuroko, but he had no intention of turning around.

"Yes?" Kuroko turned around, with his hand on the door knob.

There was a momentary pause, as he waited for something to be said.

"No, never mind. I'll see you at dinner." and curtly as usual, he entered his room without a glance back.

Kuroko stared at Akashi's door for a few seconds longer, until he opened his door and walked in, locking it with a soft click.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Kurokocchi, Akashicchi! Are you guys coming down for dinner?" Kise called out, from the bottom of the stairs.

Shortly after, Akashi, followed by Kuroko, descended down the stairs. Wordless, they walked into the lounge and sat around.

"So, does anyone feel like cooking tonight?" Kise asked, feeling the need to take lead. Of course, he had eyed Akashi carefully before he did so.

No-one answered. Taking that as an obvious 'no', he heaved a sigh and peered into the kitchen. Until now, they had always eaten at their lodge. To begin with, the cafeteria was quite a walk away from their lodge. Secondly, they had a perfectly good kitchen for their use, with an unlimited amount of ingredients and food from both the program and Kise's fans.

"I don't mind cafeteria food." Murasakibara said, as he for once, did not have some kind of sweet or snack in his mouth.

A silent agreement passed through the group, as they walked towards the door, a few running back to their rooms to grab a jacket. And yet again, Kuroko had dressed himself in black garments, almost camouflaging him against the dark of night. And to that, no-one said anything.

Lead by Akashi at the front, they arrived at the wooden building, walking down the hall past numerous vending machines as loud and boisterous chattering could be heard echoing from the open cafeteria hall.

However, the instant they stepped in, all the chatter and laughter died down, as almost every pair of eye glanced up at the entrance. Ignoring the reactions, the Generation of Miracles stepped into the cafeteria without a care, holding their pride as they did.

Whispers broke out, as many eyed them warily. Aomine heaved an irritated sigh, as he ordered an extra large bowl of tonkatsu ramen for himself.

"So bloody annoyin'." he grumbled, as Kuroko pushed him to the side to make his order.

"We should've seen this coming." Kuroko commented quietly, as he ordered a small pasta salad. Kise nodded in agreement.

Sure, they were so-called 'legends' or geniuses in the basketball circuit, and possessed godly, unrivaled abilities and skills. But that didn't change the fact they were still, merely high-school students who were, technically, rather normal in a sense. The other teams that were in the cafeteria, were all of their respective high-school teams, which they had left _temporarily_ for this program.

Even Midorima felt irritation creeping up at him. Stupid Takao and his wordless gazes.

"Ehh, Kurokocchi, are you only eating that much?" Kise asked, as he stared at Kuroko's pasta salad in disbelief. It was a small serving, which he considered to be a side dish in portion.

"Yes."

The six sat down at an empty table at the front of the hall, which had exactly six spots to spare. With Kise starting some idle chat, they began to eat, as the tension in the cafeteria dropped down to quiet chatter.

"Oi, don't tell me your done already." Aomine said, glancing sideways at Kuroko who placed his fork down.

"Sorry. Please excuse me, I'll be returning first." Kuroko slid his chair back gently and stood up. His dinner had barely been touched, as he lifted up the tray to return it to the kitchen.

"Kurokocchi's been acting weird since he came." Kise whispered. He received no reply. Though, it was quite obvious that they all agreed with him.

Kuroko walked past the table, seemingly ignoring the people around him. Rather curiously, five pairs of eyes followed his every step, until-

"Tetsuya."

Kuroko stopped. He had to stop. After all, Akashi's hushed voice held great demand. For the umpteenth time that day, a wave of silence washed over them, as neither said a word.

"Turn around."

Slowly and hesitantly, he did. What he was met with, was Akashi's piercing gaze. Along with the mix of sincerely worried, curious and clueless eyes. A strange sensation washed over him, as he struggled to keep eye contact with his captain. His feet remained planted on the floor, despite his urge to break free and run. Run from this confusing predicament of few words.

"Tetsuya," Akashi finally began, "don't keep quiet."

A glass cup fell off a table from the opposite end of the hall; the glass shattered into tiny pieces, as the shrill of the impact pierced their ears. Kuroko's naturally dull blue orbs, shone with wetness as his eyes displayed shock; fear and uncertainty.

"...yes."

And as perplexed as they were, and as ridiculously unpredictable it was, not a soul uttered a sound nor word, as a single, glistening tear spilled over the brim of his eye. And down the sickeningly pale skin, another came falling down, imprinting itself on the cold, grey concrete.

_To be continued._

* * *

**A/N: **Yellow Water Lily - 'Growing indifference'.**  
**

**Next chapter - **[_Xeranthemum_] - The Generation of Miracles learn to sympathise with Kuroko, through the story behind his tears and revelation of the truth. Change in one form or another, is bound on an express train straight to the core of their team.

Well, to begin with, I'd like to apologise for the slightly delayed update. Alot of things happened - my internet screwed up again, I've been stressed because of exams, I caught a slight cold, etc, etc.

I feel that this chapter is not written to my liking nor standards. I hit a wall of some sorts and had difficulty overcoming it, but alas, I've managed somehow to get past it. I am constantly trying to improve my writing, and I do hope that this chapter was worth the read.

On another note, I'd like to thank everyone who voted for their OTP in the poll. To those who did not want any romance of some sort in this story, I'd like to address you in later chapters. Oh, and PLEASE! do keep on voting for your favourite pairing. The poll will be taken down upon the next update, which I predict is going to be sometime next week.

Also, just a small announcement. I'm currently working on the sequel to 'Lascivious Joy, Fully Exposed', which will be titled 'Come and get me baby!'. It will be posted in the coming weeks, so please keep your eye out for it!

Thanks again for reading so far, I do hope that you'd leave a comment to share your thoughts. Adios~


	11. Xeranthemum

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continuously showed their support for Periwinkle! Please don't forget to read the A/N after the chapter, thanks.**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Xeranthemum**

**Recap**

_"Tetsuya," Akashi finally began, "don't keep quiet."_

_A glass cup fell off a table from the opposite end of the hall; the glass shattered into tiny pieces, as the shrill of the impact pierced their ears. Kuroko's naturally dull blue orbs, shone with wetness as his eyes displayed shock; fear and uncertainty._

_"...yes."_

_And as perplexed as they were, and as ridiculously unpredictable it was, not a soul uttered a sound nor word, as a single, glistening tear spilled over the brim of his eye. And down the sickeningly pale skin, another came falling down, imprinting itself on the cold, grey concrete._

**EoR  
**

Everyone's first reaction had been shock. Plain old shock. Sure, Kise was shocked too. But panic was the first visible reaction that overcame him.

"K-Kurokocchi!" More than a whisper, but less than a shout.

Abruptly, Kise shot up, pushing his chair back as he did. Like the sound of nails on a blackboard, everyone in the hall crippled over, covering their ears. Many shot him an annoyed look, but he could care less.

And almost as if he hadn't noticed the tears until this moment, Kuroko became flustered, quickly wiping them away with his sleeves.

"Please excuse me." he muttered.

As Kuroko spun around and somewhat calmly walked out, everyone else was left speechless in one way or another. Curious, other teams glanced over, alternating their gazes from the door and to the Generation of Miracles' table.

Seirin in particular, were the most curious and worried out of the bunch. Although, no-one got to say a word, as the spotlight centric five got up from their seats.

"Aka-chin made Kuro-chin cry." Murasakibara dully commented, following Akashi out of the cafeteria.

Akashi said nothing.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Silently, the five found themselves back at their lodge - drawn to Kuroko's room. Almost like a silent agreement, they all ascended up the flight of stairs to the second floor.

Kuroko's room door was slightly ajar. Aomine pushed it opened a little more, only to stop halfway. Kise and the others peered in curiously; inside the room, Kuroko was kneeling down in front of a small table which resembled some sort of altar.

Not a word was said, as they watched their fellow team mate place something in front of what seemed like a picture frame. It was a glass bottle of perfume.

Midorima stared at the bottle in further curiosity. "That's...", the perfume Kuroko was asking about the other day.

Everyone glanced at him - all sharing the same curious thought. However, before they could question him, Kuroko had already become aware of their presence.

"You don't have to stand around the doorway." he said, out of the blue. And like they were offered, they quietly settled themselves inside his room.

Kuroko closed his eyes and prayed with his hands clasped tight. Not even Akashi uttered a word. Minutes ticked by, until the silence was finally broken.

Kuroko began, as his hesitating voice came out barely a whisper. "Just a few days ago..."

* * *

The very second the last foot of the five stepped out of the cafeteria, chattering broke out once again. Teams who wouldn't usually interact with each other had grown somewhat closer during the long weeks, and even now, were leaning forward together, to listen in on the gossip.

Koganei heaved a large sigh of relief, staring at the empty table far at the front. "I swear, the moment they stepped in it became so awkward!"

Mitobe and the others nodded in agreement, continuing with their dinner.

"But I'm a bit worried about Kuroko." Izuki said, frowning. "Everyone saw that, right?"

Again, many heads nodded in agreement. The side of Kuroko they had just witnessed for a few seconds was definitely something they had not come across as of yet. And whether they were ever going to see it again - they really hoped not.

"If it's Kuroko-kun, he'll be fine." Riko said, casually waving it off.

Kagami looked up from his third serving of rice. "That's right." he mumbled, swallowing the rice in his mouth, "Whatever the problem is, he'll surely find a way to overcome it. He's not the type to stay depressed."

Hyuuga, who was seated next to him, patted him on the back rather roughly.

"Kagami's right! What we should be focusing on is the semi-finals. We got invited to this program, and we've gotta show that we're the best!"

Hyyuuga grinned, as all the present Seirin members cheered with high motivation. They continued to laugh and make a wild ruckus, completely ignoring the other teams, whilst the other teams did so too vice versa.

"Don't you think, when the Generation of Miracles are together, they seem like completely different people?" Takao suddenly commented, resting his chin on his upturned palm.

Kaijo had been sitting right next to Shuutoku, as the table was long enough for two teams. Kasamatsu found himself listening in on Takao's comments.

"Although, Shin-chan seems the same as always."

Kasamatsu raised a brow. "But if you take a moment to carefully analyze the atmosphere around them, it's certainly very different from any other you've seen."

"Come to think of it, Shin-chan hasn't really told me about their days in Teiko. He only prattles on about his horoscopes and something about proving his three-pointers." Takao snorted in amusement, as he recalled the first time he found out about Midorima's superstitious nature.

"Kise's the same. He's only said that he respects the other guys and goes on about their strength."

There was a momentary pause, as each person took a moment to put their thoughts together.

"Doesn't that just make you curious why they split up in high school then?" Someone else had joined into the conversation, as others gradually piped in too.

"Isn't it just because they wanted to face stronger opponents?"

Kasamatsu sighed. "They were certainly, very strong. If they had continued as a team in high school, undoubtedly, they would've been absolutely unbeatable. But there's most likely more to it than just their overwhelming power."

Takao grinned slyly. "But looking at _that _aura hanging around them, there must've been some sort of internal dispute that forced them to split apart in the first place."

Whatever the reason was, the chain of unknown secrets _were _going to be discovered one day. Sooner or later, someone _not _of the Generation of Miracles was going to fill in the blanks and provide them with a satisfying answer to allay their curiosity.

But they always said, _'Curiosity killed the cat'_.

* * *

"There was a horrible car accident on the highway near Kansai airport the other day. My father was one of the people found dead at the scene."

They quietly flinched on the spot, trying their best not to make complete eye contact with Kuroko. It was hard. Hard to come face to face with the heartbroken face, that they knew was there.

"My mother, thankfully, was sent to the intensive care unit. But I...still haven't been updated on her condition as of yet."

The dead silence that had fell upon the room had not become noisier in the slightest. One could not just simply, give their condolences to a grieving friend. Kuroko slowly turned himself to face the photo frame of his deceased father.

"The funeral was held four days later, after which I returned back here."

Aomine sat up awkwardly, hesitating to shift from his comfortable position on the floor next to the bed. "...Are you alright then?" he paused, as Kise shot him a 'stop-being-so-insensitive' glare. "I mean, ya' know...to come back to this program and all..." he mumbled, quickly changing his words.

"Yes, I'm fine. It is quite hard to maintain my composure, but for now all I can do is wait and hope. My uncle is commuting back and forth from work to the hospital, so I'm a little relieved."

But Aomine wasn't convinced. No-one was convinced, _at all_.

Because with his voice alone, they couldn't make out his true feelings. Sympathizing was the best they could do - because no matter how hard they tried, it was near impossible to understand the lurking darkness of inner-conflict and sadness that resided within Kuroko's heart.

It was a lie and they knew it. Anyone could tell a lie; twist the truth and bend it towards your favour - it was as simple as that. So with the unknown face they couldn't see, they _knew _that the voice was telling a lie. A fib, a distortion of reality.

But it certainly _was _a fact that Kuroko was absolutely _not _fine at all, whatsoever. Akashi had perceived the news in such a way that portrayed Kuroko as an emotionally unstable child, for the period of his father's grieving. And Akashi was _always _right, so it was a given that this was the truth. The truth they knew, that didn't require Akashi to prove.

"I'll go make some tea." Kuroko said, as he rose and walked out of the room.

In a silent agreement, Akashi, Aomine, Kise, Midorima and Murasakibara made their respective condolences to Kuroko's father, as they proceeded their transition from the room to the lounge.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

That night, the six members enjoyed a quiet atmosphere during their dinner of traditional Japanese food. With the kitchen and dining table clean afterwards, they retired to their rooms or lounge, where the night passed by slowly.

A little past ten, Kuroko softly shut the novel he had been reading for the past hour or so.

"Good night." he said with a yawn, as he curtly bowed at Akashi and Kise, the only two other than himself who had been reading in the lounge.

Like usual, he brushed his teeth, washed his face and changed in to his pajamas before slipping into bed. Everything was fine, it was normal. And like every other night, the moonlight illuminated his eerie, dark room with an alluring, beautiful silver glow.

However, the undying proof of his overwhelming sadness failed to stay hidden, as it reconciled back over the brim of his eyes. And slowly, one by one, they streamed down, as he curled up on his side. And in the midst of all these hot tears, Kuroko swore to himself that every one would be the last.

But they never stopped.

And never, did he notice the presence of the unnatural silence outside his door. Nor, the distorted, heart-torn expression of the one beyond his door, suffering silently through the quiet wails and sobs that resounded from inside the locked room.

"Huh, Aominecchi?"

* * *

**A/N: **Xeranthemum - 'Cheerful in adversity'**  
**

**Next chapter - **[_Black Bryony_] - Momoi is back! And this calls for a team reformation in the form of beloved training. However, Kuroko has yet to recover from his father's death, and mother nature might just prove this. But wait...where does Aomine come into the picture?

HELLO! Sorry for the later-than-expected update! But moving on, I have alot of things to say here, so I'll get right to it.

To begin with, I know that the death of Kuroko's parents is a really 'typical' concept. However, that's not the main issue I want to focus on. This is just a really, general pointer, but the whole point of adding in this 'accident' about the parents is to develop Kuroko's character and his relationship with the people around him. So in future chapters, like you're already starting to see in the preview of the next chapter, his relationship with everyone will gradually see huge (or minor) changes.

Also, thanks to everyone who voted in the poll! The winning pair won by quite a large margin, and I'm already working on it for future chapters. I've taken it down, and hopefully, you guys will be able to find out soon, who exactly it is. (I think it's going to be quite obvious though).

**ALSO! **I'll be going on a trip to Japan for about two weeks, so during that period, I won't be able to update. Just a heads up, but I wrote this in a rush because I'm actually leaving tomorrow, and I really wanted to update before going on that short break. I do apologise for the short chapter and if it's lacking quality, but I'll hopefully, come back to fix it later on.

Thanks again, please do leave a review to enlighten my mood and motivation when I return from Japan! Mata ne~


	12. Black Bryony

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read Periwinkle! Don't forget the A/N for a preview of the next chapter!  
**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Black Bryony**

"Tetsu-kuuuun!"

A certain pink-haired female dashed down the cobblestone path and threw herself right at her self-claimed boyfriend. The receiver, Kuroko, stood there apathetically, simply having the girl hanging off his shoulders.

"Welcome back, Momoi-san."

"Glad to be back!" Momoi squealed in reply, rubbing her cheek against Kuroko's in pure affection.

"That aside, where did you go in the first place?" Kise asked curiously, almost having forgotten about their ex-manager.

Momoi pouted. "Jeez~ I told Dai-chan to tell everyone! I was in the countryside for my grandfather's eightieth birthday."

At that moment, a nasal shrill of a horn blasted throughout the forest. They paused in their actions.

"It's time for the meeting." Midorima stated, as they all turned and trudged down the path to the meeting hall.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"I'm sure that you're all aware, the semi-finals are edging closer day by day." said the director, clearing his throat with a gruff cough. "So of course, the second mini-tournaments will be held in a few days."

"Ehh, another one already?" Kise complained, heaving a sigh.

"However, this time, we'll be leaving these grounds, as the tournament will be held overnight at a resort!"

A second of silence passed through the teams, as the key word sunk into their heads. Cheers and excited whistles broke out simultaneously, as the hall roared with laughter and anticipation.

"As usual, details won't be provided until a later date, but one thing is certain." the director announced, in a dark, menacing tone, "Every single one of you, will be pushed to both your mental and physical limits."

One thing after another, chattering broke out, as they all - in their own ways - bubbled in excitement rather than anxiety. Kuroko didn't really care - anything with the word 'physical' was like a head shot for him. He knew that his body wouldn't be able to keep up with it, so that was clearly a double kill with his mentality too.

He quietly sighed in disappointment, as his face betrayed nothing. He glanced around at the others. They didn't really seem to care much either.

Just as the director prompted to continue, a female staff member scurried up behind him and whispered something into his ears. The director nodded and looked around the room, only to grunt in annoyance.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, you've got a call on the line."

A few heads turned to the blue-haired male, whose head perked up at the news.

"For me?" he asked himself quietly, as he walked up to the front, where the staff member was.

His team mates glanced at him curiously, but said nothing.

* * *

After the meeting was dismissed, the other teams went off to train for the tournament. For the Generation of Miracles of course, it was the same as declaring it a day off. So naturally, nothing too eventful happened in the afternoon, and in the blink of an eye, nightfall came.

Kuroko idly read a book, as he leaned against the comfort of the sofa in the lounge. He hadn't noticed the time of course - he didn't find any need to pay attention to his surroundings in such a peaceful environment. It wasn't only until Number Two began to whine.

The small dog, who had been sleeping at Kuroko's foot for the past half hour or so, suddenly awoke, nudging its head against Kuroko's leg. Kuroko set aside his book and leaned over, caressing its' head.

"What's wrong?" he asked the puppy, scratching behind its' ears. Number Two barked.

"Ah, it's time for dinner, isn't it?" Number Two barked again, as his tail began to wag.

Kuroko got up and walked over to the fridge, as Number Two followed hot on his heels. Without the need to fret over anything else, he reached in for a can of 'luxurious' dog food and set it on the counter.

Number Two barked again impatiently, almost drooling at his soon to be ready dinner. Kuroko gave a soft smile.

"Shh, here you go."

Kuroko bent down and placed the bowl on the floor, observing quietly as the puppy dove head in without hesitation.

"Huh? Isn't it time for dinner yet?"

"Ah, Murasakibara-kun. It is so. What shall we do then?" Kuroko inquired, as he stood up to fill another bowl with water for Number Two.

Murasakibara hummed to himself for a moment. "I don't really care."

Out of all honestly, Kuroko couldn't be bothered cooking. He was in no mood to eat himself, so he wasn't going to go around and feed other people either. Number Two at the most. And out of all certainty, Akashi and the rest definitely weren't going to cook dinner either. Hell would freeze over before that happened. Momoi had just joined them today, but that was _completely _out of the picture - their manager couldn't even cook rice or make the most simplest of snacks - honey lemons. Their lodge would burn down before anything resembling an edible substance was set onto the table.

Then their only option was-

"Why don't we go to the cafeteria then?" Kuroko paused, "Could you go call the others as well? I'll go inform Akashi-kun."

The other nodded, as he stalked off to Midorima's room first. Kuroko followed suit and went back upstairs, stopping in front of Akashi's door. He gave two light knocks.

"Akashi-kun?"

He waited a few moments, before soft footsteps were heard from inside. Kuroko stepped back, just before the door opened with a soft click. Akashi stood at the door, dressed in a pair of white tracksuit pants with orange lining and a black shirt. Kuroko's eyes shifted from Akashi to the book laid open on his bed.

"Sorry to disturb you, Akashi-kun. We were thinking of heading down to the cafeteria soon."

Akashi nodded, "Just as I was planning." he turned around, "I'll be down soon."

Just before Akashi closed the door, Kuroko stepped forward. "Um, please go ahead with everyone else."

Akashi halted, glancing to the side, just enough to catch a glimpse of Kuroko's eyes. As natural as it was, silence approached them as needless words were.

"I'll do just that."

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Kuroko lit a small candle and gently placed it in front of a small bundle of Flowering Reeds. He stepped back and sat down on his knees, clasping his hands together as he did so.

"Father, the doctor called and said that mother is going to be fine. So, you don't have to worry anymore."

Kuroko remained silent; his praying figure yet to crumble down. There were so many things he wanted to confide to his father. However, those chances were never going to come. So many chances he had lost, and in the end it wasn't even a tragedy. It was an accident, an unforeseen loss.

His heart began to pound heavily, as a constricting feeling welled up inside of his chest. It was all too familiar. He knew this feeling; he knew it like the back of his hand, and there was no denying it.

He was becoming unstable and unsure once more.

* * *

**Flasback**

_He saw this coming from miles away. He knew...but nothing could be done. Knowledge was power, that's what people said. But what was the use of knowledge if there was no way of converting that into power?_**  
**

_"It's no use after all."  
_

_It came again - the strange feeling that welled up in his chest. He knew what was coming next was inevitable. But just one more time, just one last time, he wanted to hang on to that last string of hope. _

___"Aomine-kun...?"_

_There it was again - the fierce, constricting feeling that pounded against his chest.  
_

___"The only one who can beat me, is me." _

_At that moment, the thin bond that had kept them connected together snapped. Not into half, and not into quarters - but into thousands of tiny, miniscule pieces that could never be glued back together again.  
_

_And from this point on, Kuroko realised that he knew the exact route of their rocky path. And to himself, he thought-_

* * *

"Who's there?"

The floorboards creaked, as the wooden door swung open slowly.

"...sorry, it wasn't my intention to eavesdrop."

Kuroko looked at Aomine, and at the sincerity of his words.

"It's okay." he paused, gathering his thoughts. "Why didn't you go ahead with everyone else?"

Aomine hesitated. "...I just came to remind you to bring a jacket or something." he mumbled, much to Kuroko's surprise. "Knowing you, you'd probably come without one and catch a cold."

"...Thank you."

"Huh?" Aomine raised a brow. "Don't thank me like that, I've done no-"

"No." Kuroko interrupted, something he'd never do to anyone. "I'm sorry." he apologised for cutting him off.

"I'm thanking you to express my gratitude for your concern. But there's no longer a need to concern yourself over me."

"...huh?"

"The call I received during the meeting earlier, was the doctor informing me that my mother has returned to a stable condition. So, it's only a matter of time before she recovers."

Aomine averted his attention elsewhere, as he scratched the back of his head. "That's a relief."

"Yes."

An uncomfortable silence approached, as their words died down. Kuroko's face remained shadowed by his hair, as he stared down at the floor. Aomine on the other hand, was fighting his inner self, which clearly painted itself onto his features.

"Tetsu...I-"

"-we should start heading down now. Everyone is waiting for us."

Taken aback at the interruption, Aomine absent-mindlessly nodded. "Yeah."

Kuroko took the initiative and walked out first, not sparing a single glance back. The floors creaked once more, as he descended down the stairs.

"Aomine-kun, I'm going to leave you behind if you don't come down."

Aomine snapped back reality, as he spun on his heels and trotted down the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." he grumbled, "Let's go. I'm starving."

Kuroko locked the front door, as Aomine went ahead down the path. He brought his hands up with the key, but stopped. He twisted his body around - glancing at the dark night. And in the far distance, he could vaguely make out Aomine's figure, up ahead much further than Kuroko had anticipated.

_"I'm sorry, Aomine-kun."_

* * *

"I know it might be useless, but think of it as a way to reunite the teams play." Momoi said, holding onto a few pieces of paper. _  
_

Aomine snarled, looking ready to voice a complaint. Training? He was already strong enough, so there was clearly no point of participating in this. Midorima, Kise, Murasakibara and Kuroko had their own opinions.

"I know that everyone here is already strong enough. But this is only to match our individual styles to make the most out of our stage." Akashi said, "After all, we've all adapted to a new style of play."

All arguments and protests died down. Akashi's words were order, as far as it concerned them.

They moved to a small gym which Momoi had reserved for their personal use for that day. She read off the training schedule that she and Akashi had set up, and first up was quick stretching followed by light jogging outside.

"Tetsu-kun, you can do it!" Momoi cheered on, smiling merrily at the sight of Kuroko who as usual, was lagging behind everyone else.

Kuroko glanced over and gave her a weak smile, as a drop of sweat slid down his face. He turned his attention back to jogging, wondering if he could catch up to the rest without overexerting himself.

As soon as they started jogging, Kuroko's memory started jogging faster and further than his physical self. The broad backs of his team mates running ahead of him, always strong and confident, it was still the same. Aomine and Kise would usually urge him to catch up, teasing at the same time because they knew he couldn't. However, through his blurred vision, Kuroko knew he wasn't going to be spared a single glance anymore.

Momoi cheered out for him again, but this time, he didn't smile back at her. His body felt like lead - it was so, _so _heavy. So in respect of his own comfort, he chose to save his energy to catch up with the rest.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"...'you alright, Tetsu?" Aomine asked, as he idly spun the ball on his finger.

Without turning his head, Kuroko nodded. "Yes."

Their conversation died down immediately. Aomine didn't want to push further after their brief talk in Kuroko's room the previous night, and what Kuroko was thinking, was a complete mystery.

"Alright, now we'll be playing a three on three game. Akashi-kun has spilt the teams up." Momoi said, stepping back for Akashi to announce the teams.

"The first team will be Shintarou, Daiki and Tetsuya. The second team will be me, Atsushi and Ryouta."

Momoi pulled out a whistle from her pocket and hung it around her neck with a lanyard. Grabbing the ball, she walked towards the middle of the court with Aomine on one side and Kise on the other.

"Tip off!"

She blew the whistle and stepped back, quickly moving out of the court. Aomine reached for the ball and smashed it down onto the court with such ferocity that it rebounded off the polished floors to the same height as the tip off.

Without hesitation, he ran towards the hoop, only to be faced by Kise once more.

"You sure like to get in my way." Aomine growled, with a smirk on his face.

"Likewise, Aominecchi." Kise gave a feral grin, crouching forward in defense.

In the split second of a moment, Aomine broke free past the blonde's defense and ran towards the hoop with agility that made his figure blur. Kise caught up quickly with ease, jumping up to block Aomine's dunk. He should've known, that the tanned player was aiming for a formless shot instead.

All the while, the others ran around, staying on alert in the case that either of the two made a mistake. This applied for Kuroko too, as he stayed on defense near Aomine. But somehow, he couldn't feel excited about this practice match.

Aomine made a goal with a fade-away, smirking at his temporary victory against Kise. He stood tall, proud of all his own work. Kuroko almost doubled over, as he stopped in his tracks, caught in a haze as he stared at his former partner with glazed-over eyes.

_"Not again..."_

The tight, constricting feeling in his chest welled up again, as he peered around the court through weak eyes. He caught sight of their temporary referee, Momoi, who glanced at his direction with a worried expression. Or maybe it was confusion; he couldn't make out the small details. Rather, on contrary, he didn't want to.

_'It's no use after all. The only one who can beat me, is-'_

He finally remembered. How or why he didn't know; but he knew, that he had finally remembered. No matter how hard it was for him in all honesty, he couldn't deny reality. He couldn't lie to himself. He couldn't, because no matter what happened,-

"Tetsu-kun-!" Momoi's sudden cry snapped the game's tense atmosphere and heavy concentration, as five other heads turned to Kuroko in confusion.

_And to himself, he thought-_

-returning to 'those' days were impossible. And like a camera shutter snapping shut, his vision became stained with black in an instant.

"Kurokocchi!"

_And to himself, he thought, 'Something once lost, will never return. Even in the instance that it does...it will _never _be the same.'_

"...Tetsu?"

**To be continued**

* * *

**A/N: **Black Bryony - 'Be my support'

**Next chapter** - [_Yarrow_] - Kuroko has come to a painful realisation about his connection with the team. But he suddenly collapses, bringing forth panic. Waves upon waves of healing are brought upon him, as he is pushed further into the corner of confusion. However at the last minute, another surprising call is made.

I apologise for the delayed chapter, but nevertheless, I managed to squeeze it out somehow. I do apologise if the quality or style of my writing has changed in one way or another. I'm currently entering my final year of school and I'm already beginning to feel the stress.

More about the story itself - I'm currently rewriting the draft for the latter half of the whole fic. I decided to change it based on more official information from the manga and light novels, and just to make the fic itself more interesting and flowing.

_[Reminder: un-beta'd; not completely edited]_

I've already begun to type up the next chapter, so more reviews mean it'll come out faster! Thanks, ciao!


	13. Yarrow

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read Periwinkle! Don't forget the A/N for a preview of the next chapter and more info!**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Yarrow**

**Recap**

"Tetsu-kun-!" Momoi's sudden cry snapped the game's tense atmosphere and heavy concentration, as five other heads turned to Kuroko in confusion.

_And to himself, he thought-_

-returning to 'those' days were impossible. And like a camera shutter snapping shut, his vision became stained with black in an instant.

"Kurokocchi!"

_And to himself, he thought, 'Something once lost, will never return. Even in the instance that it does...it will _never _be the same.'_

"...Tetsu?"

**EoR**

* * *

"There's no need to worry. He's just running a fever." The doctor said, as he laid the stethoscope on the table.**  
**

Simultaneously, everyone breathed a sigh of utmost relief. Earlier, they had all reacted in their own ways when Kuroko had suddenly collapsed in the middle of the court. Murasakibara had carried the unconscious boy all the way to the staff cabin area, where there was a doctor specially hired for the duration of the show.

"However, it's a very high one at that. I cannot ensure this, but there are signs of an unhealthy amount of stress."

Momoi bit her lower lip. "Thank god it's nothing worse" She said, sounding relieved and somewhat convinced.

The others knew better. It had become an unspoken agreement to keep Kuroko's situation hidden in the dark. Momoi had no need to know at this point of time, which was deemed as for both her sake and Kuroko's.

Kuroko's frail body lay on the clinic bed, barely moving apart from the rise and fall of his shallow breathing. Whether it was the strange lighting in the room or not, his skin seemed much more pale than it normally was. It was a fact that they were worried about his condition. But to say that they were simply 'worried' for his mental state of mind was an understatement.

No-one had missed Kuroko's unusual detachment towards them. Though it was only temporary, ever since the team had reformed it was as if there was a large, unbreakable, invisible wall between the six of them. They had all noticed that Kuroko in particular had disconnected himself from the rest. And whether or not it had anything to do with his 'secret' with Akashi, they did not know.

But figuratively speaking, the remaining four were desperate enough to _kill_ to have knowledge of the truth that had been hidden since Akashi's incident back in middle school.

"If you give him this medicine as directed and proper rest, he should be back on his feet in no time." The doctor said, placing a small bottle of pills on the desk. "Or, you can leave him in my care here."

Momoi shook her head. "No, it's alright. We don't want to pose too much trouble on you, doctor. And I'm sure Tetsu-kun wouldn't want to either." She took the bottle and placed it into her pocket.

"Thank you, doctor!"

Carefully, Aomine lifted Kuroko from the bed and maneuvered him onto his back. Standing up, he gave the doctor a curt nod of the head and walked out. Everyone followed suit, making their way towards the lodge.

"He's really burning up." Aomine said, noticing that his shoulder felt warm.

* * *

As soon as they got back, Kuroko was gently laid on his bed. Momoi knelt down next to the bed, pushing away loose strands of hair from his face. She frowned, fighting back threatening tears.

"Why does Tetsu-kun have to suffer?" Momoi asked, to no-one in particular. "Poor thing." She muttered quietly, almost in a hush.

All of a sudden, her phone rang, a catchy jingle blaring from the tiny speakers. In an effort not to wake Kuroko, she quickly rushed out of the room and picked up the call.

"Eh?" She almost shouted, covering her mouth when Aomine sent her a glare. "Is that true?"

Akashi and the others glanced at her curiously, patiently waiting for her to finish, because quite frankly, they didn't really know what to do. Only a few seconds later, she hung up, looking quite distressed.

"What's up?" Aomine asked, as Momoi walked back in.

"My grandfather has collapsed, and my parents demand that I return home." She explained, sliding her phone back into her pants' pocket. "They want me to be back by noon tomorrow the latest."

"You're leaving so soon?" Kise asked, smiling in disappointment.

"Sorry, Ki-chan, I'm worried about Tetsu-kun too, but I'll leave him in your hands." Momoi smiled apologetically, turning to leave. "Oh-! Before I forget, take this." She held out the bottle of pills that the doctor had given them.

"Make sure that Tetsu-kun takes this after eating something. Preferably something easily digestible like porridge or soup. Oh and also, don't forget to wipe off his sweat. If you don't, he won't get better."

Momoi apologised and quickly left the room, scurrying down the stairs. The urgency of her situation was clearly obvious, as she had spoken in a single breath. The remaining five males stood, unsure what to do. That was, until Akashi took control of the situation.

"Atsushi and Shintarou, you two go make porridge." He began, glancing at the two standing near the door.

Midorima rose a brow. "Why can't we just get it from the cafeteria?"

"Considering the time it takes to walk back, it'll cool down much too fast." Akashi paused, "Daiki will go get a bowl of water and a towel. Ryouta will change Tetsuya into his pajamas."

No-one voiced a complaint against their captain. To prevent any to begin with, Akashi also addressed himself.

"I will go down and see Satsuki off."

* * *

As the bus drove off down the long, empty road, Akashi had already begun to make his way back to the lodge. He had finished his business with Satsuki, and partially saw her off.

"Please take care of Tetsu-kun." She had said, as she hoisted her bag onto the bus. Akashi simply nodded his head.

But truth to be told, he was in fact, quite concerned for his fellow team mates' well being. As the captain of course, he had the responsibility of everyone's health to maintain.

In no time, he was back at the lodge and found himself peering into the kitchen. Bending over, looking into the fridge was Mursakibara. Over at the counter with a chopping board, was Midorima, finely cutting some baby mushrooms.

"Mido-chin, there are no more eggs."

The bespectacled teen sighed, "There should be a few dozen more in the box over there."

Deciding that they were fine, Akashi continued down the hall, ascending the flight of stairs. As he did, he found himself walking in on a peculiar sight.

"Ryouta?"

The blond whipped his head around, a slight tint of pink visible on his cheeks. Glancing back at Kuroko for a moment, he quietly whispered an apology and folded the shirt, placing it on the ground beside him.

"Sorry, Akashicchi. Getting there." Kise smiled sheepishly.

Whilst whatever else was going on outside of the room, Kise had been stuck in turmoil, all the while staring at the peaceful, sleeping boy on the bed. Did he really dare wake this angel's descendant? In conclusion, he didn't. Kuroko's shirt came off somewhat easily, effectively making his job easier. But easier said than done, Kise had felt a teeny weeny bit embarrassed.

...stripping his unaware, sleeping (beauty) team mate.

"You're slow." Akashi stated apathetically, walking over to the bed. He stopped next to the blond, who moved out of the way instinctively.

Pushing the forest-green coloured blanket aside, any sign of hesitation was nonexistent in Akashi's impassive facade. Swiftly and somehow - almost _elegantly_, the black sweatpants Kuroko had been wearing a mere second ago, had magically come off and landed on the floor, neatly folded on top of the shirt.

Kise stared in bewilderment, unsure what to think of such a... _strange_ sight. And joining him in his confused stupor, was Aomine - standing in the doorway with a bowl of lukewarm water and a towel.

Noticing, but ignoring the two, Akashi reached over for the new set of pajamas and quickly slipped on the pants - ensuring that Kuroko was at least, not entirely exposed. Aomine shrugged aside the previous scene and walked in, placing the bowl on the desk.

"Should I leave it-" Aomine never got to finish his sentence, as a sharp crashing sound echoed from the kitchen.

Akashi stared at the empty doorway seemingly impassive, though, mentally sighing. "I'll go down and check." He said, striding out of the room calmly.

Kise's eyes followed his captain out, however he decided to leave the (not so) mysterious sound to Akashi. He glanced at the bowl sitting on top of Kuroko's desk and reached for it carefully, placing it on the small lamp table next to the bed. Wordlessly, he dipped the towel into the bowl and wrung out excess water - all the while completely forgetting about the extra presence in the room.

As Kise began to gently wipe off beads of sweat from Kuroko's torso, Aomine found himself pained at such a sight - despite the peaceful expression laid on Kuroko's face. Since the day Aomine became friends with Kuroko, he knew, in fact - everyone knew, that Kuroko never got sick. Even if he had sustained an injury or was running a high fever, he'd conceal his pain and repaint his emotions.

During their days in Teiko, it was an often occurrence for him to find out that _after _a long afternoon session of training, it'd come to his knowledge that Kuroko had in fact injured his wrist or sustained some kind of injury or sickness. At first, he didn't know why the shadow went to such lengths to hide his suffering. Facing pain is a natural part of being human - pain is meant to be expressed in order to relieve it.

Then one day, he came to a realisation that slapped him across the face for being so blatantly obvious. If Kuroko was a shadow, his role was to support his light. And if this 'light' was part of a team, his role would then change to supporting the entire team, not just the light. Since the beginning, Kuroko's best interest was_ never_ his personal desires or needs. It was always the best interest of the team - the team's victory, success, influence and longevity, or simply to take into account the needs of others rather than his own.

Kuroko was a selfless individual. His personality forbade causing inconvenience to others or anything in between. However his exit from the team, brought a new light upon him. A light of betrayal and confusion. Ultimately, if Kuroko had collapsed from stress or pressure, it must've been _excruciatingly _unbearable to the point of exhaustion. And considering the recent events in Kuroko's life, it didn't come much as a surprise.

Aomine mentally shook his head. He cleared his throat, making himself known. "I'll go take these down." he muttered, picking up Kuroko's shirt and pants.

Kise paused for a moment and glanced back, watching the retreating back slump down.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"That's why I told you," Midorima began, stressing his words, "that bowl is not microwaveable. It even says on the base that it's _non-microwavable_."

Murasakibara stared at the mess, as if he hadn't caused the porcelain bowl to shatter. "Ehh, really?"

Midorima heaved yet another sigh, readjusting his glasses. "Never mind that anymore. It would be a wise idea to clean up that mess."

"Okay." Murasakibara replied, walking away nonchalantly to find a spare cloth.

"What was that racket?" Akashi asked, walking the kitchen. Murasakibara turned around to glance at the red-head.

"Akashi." Midorima acknowledged, pausing, "A bowl shattered in the microwave. It's not too big of a mess."

Akashi mentally sighed, simply staring at the scene with a slight tweak of disbelief and annoyance mixed in his eyes. He moved into the kitchen and towards the cupboard, pulling out a small pot. Midorima eyed him curiously as the red-head placed it on the stove and reached over for the bowl of rice that had been sitting on the counter, left to cool.

"Akashi?" Midorima inquired, note quite sure what the red-head was intending to do.

"I'll leave you in charge of making a side dish or two." Akashi replied, emptying the bowl of cooked rice into the pot. "I'll make rice porridge." And as if cooking was the most natural thing in the world for him, he continued on wordlessly.

Midorima complied, somewhat awkwardly. He never knew their captain could cook - most of the time it was only Kuroko or himself cooking. Murasakibara's curious glances only emphasised his thought.

"Aka-chin, you can cook?" Murasakibara asked, quelling both his and Midorima's curiousity.

"Of course. Something as simple as this is only trivial." Akashi replied, turning on the stove gas.

Murasakibara only hummed in reply, as he went back to cleaning the microwave. About fifteen minutes or so passed, as they all attended to their individual duties. Within that time, Akashi had finished a quick, warm bowl of rice porridge with egg.

"Leave this to cool then take it up later." Akashi said finally, as he walked off nonchalantly.

The two directed their stares at the bowl left on the counter to cool, left in slight awe at a new, surprising discovery.

* * *

It was hot. It was suffocating. His body felt _so _heavy, almost as if it was being weighed down by a ton of lead. His head pounded furiously as he made an attempt to open his eyes. But too difficult of a task it seemed to be.

"Kuro-chin?"

A familiar voice entered the room, coming closer to the bed. Subconsciously groaning in discomfort, Kuroko fluttered his eyes open, barely able to keep them open as he tried to take in his surroundings.

"...Murasakibara-kun?" he said, after a long moment of silence. His voice came out harsh, hoarse from the dryness. A fit of coughs followed, racking his body violently; he was _dying _to get his hands on a glass of water for his parched throat.

"Eat this and take your medicine." Mursakibara said in reply, setting a tray down on the table next to the bed before turning to leave.

Kuroko nodded, "Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble."

Murasakibara halted, turning his head to the side to meet Kuroko's eyes. "You should say that to Aka-chin, not me."

Kuroko stared at him with his usual deadpan expression, though with a hint of confusion.

"Aka-chin made that for you."

As the purple-haired giant left and closed the door behind him, Kuroko picked up the tray and carefully balanced it on his lap, lifting the lid of the bowl. He was presented with a warm and quite inviting bowl of rice porridge. He took the spoon in his hand and took a taste.

"It's good." he mumbled to himself quietly.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

How many hours had passed in his sleep, he didn't know. Kuroko laid on the bed flat on his back. Just moments ago he had jumped awake - from what nightmare it could've been, he no longer remembered. It was one of those dreams that were almost impossible to recall right after waking from a slumber. He had woken up drenched in his own sweat from head to toe.

Wobbling, he stood up, grabbing a change of clothes as he groggily pulled himself to the bathroom. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep. Really, he could've been dead to the world for as much as he cared, but he knew he couldn't do that. From the lounge downstairs, the sound of the TV traveled up, reaching Kuroko's ears. He made a mental note to thank everyone later, as he stepped into the bathroom.

**Downstairs**

"Oi Kise, pass me the last jelly." Aomine said, lazily taking up an entire sofa.

Wordlessly, Kise blindly groped around for the last mini jelly cup on the table. Once he found it, he tossed it to Aomine who caught it with ease. All the while, Kise was on his phone, reading an article about his latest photo album.

"Mine-chin, that's mine." Murasakibara said, popping a candy apple flavoured jelly into his mouth.

Aomine snorted. "Does it really matter?"

Mursakibara looked unamused, pouting slightly. He turned to Kise. "Kise-chin, go get more."

Kise furrowed his brows, "Ehh, they're all the way in the fridge though..." he replied, all the while keeping his eyes glued on his phone. "Why me in the first place."

"Because they're from your fans."

"...that's unreasonable!" Kise argued, finally tearing his eyes away. "Why do I have to listen to you anyway?" he pouted, also unamused.

"Because I said so." the other replied almost instantly, unhesitating in his reply. "Kise-chin-...huh?"

"Here you go."

A packet of mini jellies fell into Murasakibara's hands, almost like magic. Though again, that was impossible. He turned his head to the side lazily, meeting eyes with none other than Kuroko.

"Ah. Kuro-chin." He said, opening the new packet.

Akashi and Midorima who had remained quiet the entire time finally looked up from their books. Kuroko, clad in his light blue pajamas, stood behind their purple-haired centre.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed, "You shouldn't be up!" he stood up, unsure what to do.

Kuroko smiled weakly. "It's okay. I feel much better now." he paused, "My head feels heavy from lying down all day."

"But still, you should be resting in your room." Kise urged, worried. He moved aside to make room for Kuroko to sit.

The blue-haired boy sat and bent forward, reaching for a vanilla ice-cream flavoured jelly on the table. "It got a bit suffocating upstairs. I was intending to go outside for fresh air."

"You're an idiot, aren't you?" Aomine mumbled, peering at his friend from the corner of his eyes. "You'll just get sick all over again."

Kise seemed to support his words. Though silent, the rest probably agreed with his words too. Or so, that's how it seemed like to Kuroko. Sighing, he remained seated, holding onto the jelly.

"Thank you."

Everyone paused in their individual activities, sparing him the attention.

"I'm sorry for all the inconvenience and trouble that I've caused. I'm very grateful to have been taken care of by everyone." he lowered his head slightly as a sign of respect. "I'm fine now, so please be at ease."

A brief silence passed through the group, Kise being the first to break it with a hug. Out of nowhere, he spun his body around and wrapped his arms around Kuroko loosely. What he was trying to attempt, Kise himself didn't know either. He wanted to console Kuroko. No, that wasn't right. He wanted to console himself. It was for... his own satisfaction.

"That's such a relief, Kurokocchi!" he said, grinning. The grip he had on Kuroko's figure tightened as he drew in closer.

"I-I can't breathe...Kise-kun." Kuroko lifted his arms, trying to pry off the arms from his shoulders.

"It really is such a relief..." Kise whispered to himself, biting the bottom of his lip as he buried his head on Kuroko's shoulder.

It seemed to be happening alot recently, Kuroko noted. Situations where he was at a complete loss, that was. Thankfully, rather than someone else prying Kise off of him, a phone call disturbed their little situation. The distinctive jingle Kuroko had set as his ringtone went off, vibrating in the pocket of the cream coloured cardigan he was wearing.

Curious, everyone directed their stares towards him once again, eagerly waiting for him to pick up the call. Somewhat hesitantly, Akashi noticed, Kuroko pressed the accept button.

"...Hello? Ah, good evening, doctor. Thank you for the other time." he paused, "Are there...any problems?"

Everyone held their breaths, anticipating for the worst but hoping for the best. Kuroko said nothing for a long time, not even replying 'yes' like he always did. Finally, he spoke.

"...I apologise, but could you please repeat that?" he asked in a cautious tone, looking down at his lap. He noticed the subtle trembling in his hand and clenched it into a fist in an attempt to stop it.

Only a few seconds after he said those words, a myriad of feelings overwhelmed his senses, reconciling his past tears and giving forth to waves of new ones. His lips trembled as did his hands; his entire sense of being began to stir again, changing to what it was before. Despite the obvious anguish and inner chaos churning within Kuroko, Akashi and the others could only watch as he struggled to overcome this obstacle.

"Mother...?" Kuroko whispered; voice trembling. It came out as a choked cry as he attempted to contain his cries that came out in vain.

_"That's right, my dear Tetsuya. It's me...your mother, well and alive."_

"Thank god." Kuroko replied after a lengthy pause, trying to retain the trembling in his voice. "Honestly...thank god." No other words came out. Instead, he let the overflowing tears fall from the brim of his eyes.

The soft sounds of his sobbing filled the eerily quiet room as he curled up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. Akashi stood up and turned to leave to his room. The others glanced at him curiously until Murasakibara followed suit. And soon, everyone had gotten up in respect for Kuroko's privacy with his mother.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

It was late night; the moon was bright and world was covered in a veil of darkness. The single two storey lodge sitting in the middle of the forest was dark, completely void of any light. However, if one listened _very _carefully, the sound of a soft, monotonous voice could be heard from a certain room, revealing the deepest of his thoughts and feelings.

"Yes. I really am blessed with true friends, mother."

* * *

**A/N: **Yarrow - 'Healing'

**Next chapter - **[_Zinnia_] - Broken bonds can be mended. Actions speak louder than words. Stray cats create the perfect concoction for wild misunderstandings. Life is a bliss, but quite often, it can be _completely _random.

Once again, I apologise for the incredibly late update! I have many excuses, I really do. It's mostly got to do with the crazy amount of schoolwork I've gotten lately. Anywho, I should also mention that at the time of this update, it is incredibly late where I live and I haven't really thoroughly checked for mistakes. Please do bypass any or give me a heads up so I can fix it!

This chapter was mainly focused on the GoM's efforts to heal Kuroko both physically and mentally. I purposely got Momoi to stay out of this because I found it a bit challenging to add her into it without completely making her a small, side character with only one or two lines. The next chapter isn't really a part of the actual story, but I've decided to add it anyway. Please look forward to it!

Preview: _"Take off your shirt, it's in the way! ...bend down a little more."_

__Thanks for reading, please spare some time to leave your thoughts!


	14. Zinnia

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read Periwinkle! Don't forget the A/N for a preview of the next chapter and more info!**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Zinnia**

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead; his right hand pulling on his shirt in an attempt to wipe them away. Steadying his ragged breathing, he bent forward, clutching the ball in his hands.

_"Just once more." _he told himself, standing straight.

He raised both of his hands, one with the ball, the other in position to accelerate it towards the hoop. Breath in, breath out. In a flash, the ball disappeared out of human vision. However, instead of making it through the hoop, it bounced of the ring and flimsily bounced off.

"Your rushing too much."

Spinning around on his heels, their eyes met.

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko stated, almost foreign as it rolled off his tongue. "How long have you been here?"

Kagami bent over and picked up the ball, "Long enough to see that lousy shot miss."

Kuroko said nothing for a while, staring at the red-head. An awkward reunion of sorts was something he wanted to avoid the most - especially with Kagami, his new light. He watched as the other dribbled the ball around, dunking it into the hoop with ease.

"How does one-on-one sound?"

Kagami halted, turning to the blue-haired boy with a smirk. "Now that sounds more like it."

Without hesitation, Kagami dashed past Kuroko in an instant. Kuroko quickly spun on his heels, attempting to steal the ball - one of the only things he was good at in basketball. Though as always, he was one step too late as Kagami jumped off the ground, dunking the ball into the hoop with much ease.

Kuroko eased a small smile onto his lips. "You've gotten stronger again." he said, wiping away excess sweat with his wristband.

Kagami shot a toothy grin. "Obviously." he replied immediately, "What do you think coach did to us after you left? She seriously tried to kill us all!" he added, face turning pale as he recalled the horrible nightmares of Seirin's training in the forest.

"Coach wouldn't have such inten-" Kuroko paused, "Actually, that is possible." he murmured to himself.

"She did!" Kagami retorted, frustrated that Kuroko didn't have to go through such torture. With a sigh, he backed down.

"One more round?" Kuroko asked, as he picked up the ball; an unusual determined glint in his eyes.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Sheesh, where the hell did that idiot go this time?" Hyuuga grumbled, a tick forming on his forehead.

"We'll find him." Izumi said in reply, in an attempt to ease Hyuuga's frustration. "Eventually." Or not.

Hyuuga heaved a heavy sigh, stepping over a rock along the path. Sure he was frustrated, but he didn't need more troubles by damaging his shoes if he kicked the rock to pent out his anger. How many miles was the next shoe store?

"Let's just hurry up and find him, or else who knows what Riko will do to us." Hyuuga muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "C'mon Izumi, you're too slow!"

When he received no reply, he stopped and turned around, "Oi, Izumi-..?" He walked over, "What's wrong?"

"That." Izumi said, as he pointed to an open court a few metres north-east of their position.

Hyuuga narrowed his eyes slightly, recognizing two people playing one-on-one on the court. Just as he intended to question Izuki, flicks of blue and red hair flashed pass his eyes.

"Kuroko...and Kagami?"

Izumi placed a hand on Hyuuga's shoulder. "Well, that solves our problem." he began to walk away, "I'll go inform coach."

Unbeknownst to himself, a small smile formed on Hyuuga's relaxed expression as he tore his eyes away and followed Izumi back.

* * *

"Kagami-kun really didn't hold back..." Kuroko muttered softly, massing his right shoulder as he slowly dragged his feet along the path.

Afternoon had come along, and so did Kuroko's stamina limit. Though Kagami looked as if he could go on for much longer, he withdrew at the sight of his shadow looking ready to faint at any minute.

Kuroko had informed Kise that he was going to practice shooting earlier that morning, and that he'd be back by lunch. But much to his luck, he had completely lost track of time. He only hoped Kise remembered to relay his message to Akashi. If he hadn't...well, he really didn't want to imagine the consequences Akashi would bestow upon him.

All of a sudden, the bushes behind him rustled unnaturally. Kuroko jumped slightly, as he cautiously peered behind. However, nothing came into his field of vision. After a few more seconds, he dismissed it, figuring it was probably just a small animal roaming around. He spun on his heels and continued to walk back to the lodge, only to immediately halt in his steps when a soft, distinctive mewl reached his ears.

Without a second thought, he turned back and stepped over the bushes.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Eh, hasn't Kurokocchi come back yet?" Kise asked, "He said he'll be back by lunch."

Kise stood, leaning against the cafeteria's counter. Aomine stood not too far from him, with his hands stuffed inside his pockets.

"Well, obviously he hasn't." Aomine grumbled, yawning. Just as Kise opened his mouth to say something, Aomine cut him off. "Nevermind. I'll go look for him then."

Kise stared at the tanned male blankly, who decided to ignore his look and walk away. Since when did Aomine...? He shook his head. No, that didn't really mater in the first place.

"Ask him what he wants for lunch while your at it, Aominecchi!" Kise called out, hoping the other had heard. He received a back-handed wave in response.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Tetsu!" Aomine called out, as he entered the lodge. Unsure whether his partner was there or not, he decided to briefly take a look around.

As he walked into the lounge, he was greeted by the exact person he was looking for.

"Oi Tetsu, Kise was looking for you at the cafeteria."

Kuroko looked up momentarily, giving the other his usual blank stare. "I apologise. I was practicing with Kagami-kun and got caught up with something."

Aomine gave him a skeptical look. "Got caught up with something...?" He lowered his gaze to 'lump of fur' in the boy's lap, downright confused...until it mewled.

"Shh." Kuroko whispered, gently caressing the head of what Aomine supposed was a cat. It took a few moments for him to process the situation.

"A cat." Aomine deadpanned, refraining from heaving one of the heaviest sighs he had the urge to heave.

"Yes." Kuroko replied, "While you're here, could you please help me find the first-aid kit?" he paused, "I'm not sure where it is."

Aomine's head perked up. "I think there was one in my room."

Kuroko looked hesitant. "If it's not too much trouble.."

Aomine waved it off, stuffing his hands into his pockets once again as he turned towards his room. "Nah, come."

* * *

Kise couldn't help but pout at the fact that in the end, neither Aomine nor Kuroko turned up for lunch. Apparently their captain had eaten sometime earlier that afternoon, Midorima and Murasakibara sat with him, but left first. So in the end, he was left to eat alone in the midst of his old team mates and past enemies.

...To say it was awkward, would've been an understatement, he had to admit.

Brushing lonely thoughts aside, he returned back to the lodge in no time, hoping to get some rest for the rest of the afternoon. As he took off his shoes at the entrance, he raised a brow curiously at Murasakibara.

"Um...Mursakibaracchi?" Kise hesitated, unsure what to say, "What are you doing?" he asked.

The purple-haired teen stood in front of Aomine's door, simply staring at it. At his name, he glanced at Kise with a candy bar in his mouth.

"Ah, Kise-chin." he managed to mumble out. "You wanna listen too?"

Kise gave him a confused look, "To what?"

Mursakibara gave a thoughtful hum. "I heard Kuro-chin's voice inside Mine-chin's room...it sounded kind of suspicious, you know?" he mumbled out, taking the candy bar out of his mouth for a moment.

As Kise was about to respond, what he _thought_ was Kuroko's voice could suddenly be heard from the other side of the door.

_"Aah!"_

Kise froze, his mind blanking out for a moment as he found himself pressing his ear against the door.

_"..shit! you okay Tetsu?" _He heard Aomine ask, with a slight hint of panic in his voice.

_"More or less...it's...you...were so rough." _Kise couldn't make out what Kuroko was saying, word for word. After all, the blue-haired boy was always soft-spoken and quiet.

Kise pressed his ear closer against the door, hoping to hear what was going on inside the room.

_"My bad, I'll be more gentle next time." _Kise frowned. Gentle? Next time? There was going to be a next time? _"Ah! Blood!" _Kise's eyes widened a fraction. His precious Kurokocchi was bleeding!

_"That...it hurt."_

_"R-relax..."  
_

Before Kise could become flustered over the somewhat _suggestive _sounds that were being emitted from Aomine's room, a sharp voice snapped him out of his eavesdropping trance.

"Kise, Murasakibara. What are you two doing over there?" Midorima asked, emerging from his room with a toy car in his hand. As he came closer, Kise abruptly prevented another word to be spoken.

"Shh!" Kise urged, putting a finger to his lips as Mursakibara stared at the two indifferently.

Midorima sighed, pushing up his glasses. As much as he would've liked to walk back into the confinement of his room, his darned curiosity got the better of him; his feet moving on its own towards the door.

_"...Relax." _

_"T-thank you..."  
_

_"...take off your shirt!"  
_

After a momentary pause, there were sounds of clothes rustling and a bed creaking from the other side of the door. Midorima's glasses almost cracked. Kise turned beet red, unable to believe the two inside. Mursakibara continued to suck on his candy bar, seemingly interested in the situation as he hadn't walked away yet.

"First he hurts Kurokocchi and now he's trying to make a move!" Kise mumbled quietly, beginning to freak out. "Aominecchi that...that prude!"

Midorima raised a brow but didn't bother to spare a glance.

_"Bend over...more-..."_

_"I-It hurts...Aomine-kun...please...gentle."_

Kuroko's voice became strained by the minute as some words were really, just barely audible. The temperature in the corridor suddenly rose, as-

"What are you three doing down there?" A different sharp voice suddenly spoke, stealing their attention almost instantly.

"Aka-chin." Mursakibara mumbled, torn between walking away or staying for some more entertainment.

However, before anyone could even begin to mouth a reply, Kuroko got to them first.

_"A-aah!"_

The rather loud moan surprised everyone. Everyone including Akashi, who slowly came down from the staircase. But what caught their attention wasn't simply the fact that they heard a moan. It was the fact that it was clearly Kuroko's voice, and two - it didn't sound like a moan of pain. Rather, the complete opposite.

"Kurokocchi...!" Kise gasped, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. "Has Aominecchi tainted your pure soul?" he cried melodramatically, earning a glare from none other than Midorima.

_"T-Tetsu...you?"_

_"That's...aah! P-please stop..."_

And again, another somewhat horribly suppressed moan was again heard from inside the room.

**.**

**.  
**

**.  
**

The dinner table was unusually quiet, Kuroko noticed. Not that he really cared though. Quite contrary, he found it a good change of pace for once.

"Oi Tetsu, can you get me some more water?" Aomine asked, picking up his cup lazily.

Kuroko nodded and took his cup, only agreeing as he was closest to the fridge. As he got up from his seat, four eyes followed his every moment, trying to catch any signs of limping.

With no particular erratic movements, Kuroko reached inside the fridge for a large bottle of chilled water and closed the fridge, taking it over to the kitchen bench. He then proceeded to open the tightly screwed on lid with slight difficulty, accidentally causing it to fly off onto the tiles next to his feet. He looked down and stared at the bottle cap for a few seconds, before bending over to pick it up.

Or at least, he _tried _to.

Kuroko suddenly stopped moving further down, as he remained bent in an awkward position with his hands barely reaching the floor. After a few moments, he decided to bend his knees and _slowly _bend down with one hand sliding down the plate drawer.

The others watched him - usually quiet and a few, looking somewhat flustered. Neither Aomine nor Kuroko seemed to notice the atmosphere in the room becoming more awkward by the second. Or at least, Kuroko failed to notice the reason _why _it was so suffocatingly quiet.

"Everyone, what's wrong?" he asked rather innocently, honestly not sure what was going on.

He received no definite reply.

* * *

**Omake**

Early the next morning, Akashi suggested they stretch and do a few laps around the lodge. Of course without fail, everyone heeded his words almost instantly. They didn't need to be told twice.

After thirty laps in the forest around the lodge, the six decided to walk over to the shared baths, where surely nobody was to be present at such an unearthly hour. Kuroko dragged his feet across the grassy path, tired more so than usual. The uneven, rocky terrain had made jogging so much more difficult.

"Hurry up, Kurokocchi!" Kise called out, already inside the changing room with everyone else.

Kuroko grabbed a towel from the basket next to the sink and temporarily placed it on an empty shelf. He stripped off his white shirt and roughly folded it before placing it in an empty basket for later. Only then did he remember he had to take off the bandage.

"Eh, Kurokocchi, what's with the bandage?" Kise asked curiously, suddenly noticing the large bandage placed on the boy's lower back.

"Oh, this? It's just a scratch from a stray cat. Aomine-kun helped me put on the bandage yesterday." he replied, wrapping the towel around his waist.

Only then did Kise's confusion skyrocket. "Wait-..so, yesterday in Aominecchi's room..." he trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Yes. He was treating me because I could not reach that particular spot."

And only then, did Midorima place his glasses in the basket with his clothes and nonchalantly walk into the bath as if nothing concerned him. Murasakibara followed Akashi into the bath, who had a small smirk playing on his lips. Kise turned scarlet red, resisting the urge to profusely apologise to Kuroko about his one-sided misunderstanding.

"So Kurokocchi's pure soul wasn't tainted!" he cried happily, relieved.

Aomine shot him a grossed out look and walked into the bath, Kuroko following suit. Kise remained in the change room for another minute or two, trying to calm himself down.

So Aomine and Kuroko _weren't_ consummating their love yesterday afternoon.

* * *

**A/N: **Zinnia - 'Thoughts of absent friends'

**Next chapter - **[_Dragon Root_] - An unknown figure is called onto the program set. But he's not the only one. The second mini-tournaments finally start, with the teams heading over to a resort facility. An awkward bus trip is ensued. So is a precious team mascot going missing. Or maybe not.

I do apologise again for the late update. I was occupied with _very important_ exams for my final year and couldn't find the time. The summer holidays have started, so I will try my best to update frequently.

Anywho. This chapter isn't so much of progress on the actual storyline, it's kind of like a filler I guess. This chapter was just to establish that Kagami and Kuroko's relationship is still intact and that the '**Kuroko (character) development arc**' has finished and the next '**Final encounter arc**' will begin. I already have the end of this fic planned, so I'm going to speed things up from the next chapter.

Until then, please leave a review on your thoughts! Ciao ciao, my beautiful readers!


	15. Amaryllis

**Periwinkle**

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews. I apologise for my extremely late update and my inability to respond to each and every review. Please read the A/N after the chapter for more information.  
**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Amaryllis  
**

Shoes shuffled about noisily on the asphalt as both restless and tired players chattered idly. The morning was cold to say, as the sun had only risen half an hour before they were forced out of bed. Amongst the many players waiting to board the coaches, certain people had different preferences than to hang around a large rabble of supposedly rival teams.

Kotaro Hayama slumped down against a random tree much further away from other people, as he stifled out a yawn. He blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the small beads of tears that formed on the brim of his eyes. Despite his overly-hyper nature everyone was used to, he honestly was not much of a morning person.

"So tired..." he mumbled to himself, stretching his arms high. He relaxed his body before standing up to join his team - until he saw a familiar face walking towards the direction of their dorm.

"Hey!" he called out, effectively getting the person's attention. "Why are you here?" he asked casually, jogging up to the person, who reluctantly stopped in his tracks.

The figure hummed to himself, before giving a slight smirk. "Let's just say," pause. "I struck a good deal." he replied.

Hayama gave him a questioning look.

"I'm not the only one though." he added, walking off again. Hayama could only stand there, confused as the figure disappeared into the forest trail.

"Oi, Hayama! Hurry up and get on the bus!" Nebuya called out from farther away, his patience wearing thin.

* * *

The one hour bus trip was uneventful if one took out the fact that the Generation of Miracles' team were forced onto the same coach as Kaijo and Shuutoku. Of course, everyone save for Kise and Midorima sat down and interacted amongst themselves nonchalantly.

Kise found himself sweating in his shoes as he desperately tried to ignore the annoyed glares his Kaijo team mates shot at him. Despite his indifferent exterior, Midorima too, was in fact quite flustered to have his school team mates staring at him constantly. Not that it _really _concerned him though. Really.

"Kise-kun, you're unusually quiet." Kuroko commented, peeking behind over his seat where Kise sat alone. Midorima sat on the opposite side with a stuffed teddy bear the size of a young child.

Kise smiled sheepishly, fighting back the urge to spill rivers of tears and shout out the reason why. Kuroko stared at the model for five seconds, then sat back down on his seat next to Aomine. Aomine stretched his mouth to let out a yawn, already falling asleep in his seat. Midorima double checked to see if both he and his lucky item were properly secured to their seat. Mursakibara had already opened his snacks. Akashi took out a novel and began to read.

Kise sighed, gazing out the window in an attempt to distract himself.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"Whoa. No way, are we really staying here?" Hyuuga exclaimed, taken aback at the gigantic, luxury resort that loomed over them.

"How many floors does this building have?" Kagami muttered to himself, not even bothering with a guess.

Other teams filed out of the buses, grabbing their belongings as they did. It was an understatement to describe that they were all in awe at simply the building's exterior itself.

Kuroko was quite amazed too. Never in his life did he think he would be able to stay at such a high-class, luxurious resort. Not that he expressed his amazement via expression. He looked around at everyone else, who seemed either unimpressed or bored with the situation. He decided not to ask for his own sake.

"Let's go everyone." Kuroko suggested quietly, going ahead of the rest who seemed to follow suit.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, they were greeted by female staff, then lead to the reception where they received their keys.

"Two people per room." They were told.

"Kurokocchi," Kise said immediately, "Wanna share a room?" he asked, his eyes almost sparkling.

Kuroko stared at him with his usual deadpan expression, as Kise's expression slowly began to drop.

"I don't mind." Kuroko said after a moment or two, with much indifference.

Kise's expression brightened up again, as he grinned - an imaginary dog tail wagging behind him.

* * *

Kuroko stared out over the large, glistening blue pool and past the different buildings around the vicinity, ignoring the growing goosebumps on his skin as the cool afternoon breeze licked his skin. He looked down below at the different people roaming about, loitering around the pool and buying drinks from vending machines. If it was any other day, he would've gladly been any one of those people. However, despite the surrounding luxury, he couldn't bring himself to appreciate it.

He had excused himself from Kise in the room earlier, claiming that he wanted to explore the facilities around the resort. Truth to be told, he had said that out of all honestly, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. It was simple really - his mind was already occupied with different trains of thoughts, and there was simply not enough room to fit any more.

To say that Kuroko was concerned about the future ahead of him was an incredible understatement. To say that Kuroko seemed to have everything under control was an incredible misconception. And to say that Kuroko didn't know what was going to become of himself, was one incredible truth that no-one seemed to understand. The once familiar warmth of the memories of his father inside his heart almost instantly dissolved into nothing but a distant silhouette inside his head - and he knew, that nothing was going to bring it back. Not now, not ever.

"Something once lost will never return." Like a soft, ghostly whisper, those words died as it escaped from his lips - the wind suddenly fierce and almost unforgiving as it swallowed every syllable, leaving none to be heard.

Kuroko looked up at the sun, shielding his eyes with his left hand as he did. Lifting his right hand, he stretched it out, wanting to see how much further he would need to reach that burning warmth - how much further would he need to reach the happily ever after conclusion he desired so desperately.

Heaving a soft sigh, Kuroko averted his gaze down to his shoes, checking the time on his phone that had been hiding in his right pocket. Deciding it was about time to head back inside, he spun on his heels and headed down from the rooftop garden.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

As Kuroko got off the elevator and walked down the hallway back to where he supposed his room was, he saw Mursakibara and Akashi walking towards his direction.

"Did you venture off around the vicinity?" Akashi asked, already knowing what the reply was going to be.

"Yes. I was thinking of returning to my room for the remaining time we have left." Kuroko replied, unsure what else to say.

"I see." Akashi said, "That's right, would you like to come down with me to the director's lounge?"

Kuroko stared at him for a second before agreeing, much to his own inner surprise. Not that it really affected him in any way though, he had the leisure after all.

"Aka-chin," Mursakibara suddenly spoke up, "I'm gonna go ahead and look for a vending machine."

Akashi simply nodded in reply, as Mursakibara continued down the hallway. "Don't get lost." Akashi called out, making his own way to the elevator.

The number of the floor lit up, as the elevator doors opened with a sharp 'ding'. Kuroko followed Akashi into the empty, mirror-wall elevator, immediately noticing the unruly mess the wind had made his blue hair to be. As he brushed it down, his eyes trailed over to the profile-view reflection of his captain faltering - his actions seeming almost hesitant as he reached out to push the buttons on the wall.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko asked, trying to hide the confusion -almost concern - mixed in with his voice, "Where is the director's lounge?"

"Ground." came the immediate reply, as Akashi pressed the far most bottom button.

Kuroko turned around and said nothing more, as Akashi decided to do so too until they got off the elevator. Following Akashi's lead, they turned a corner and through an arch, passing the empty cocktail bar as they walked through a larger arch into what seemed like the director's lounge.

"We're here."

And then, what Kuroko supposed was the most confusing, incredulous sight he had ever seen unfolded before his eyes - Akashi stopped, and pulled out a pair of thin, black rimmed glasses and slipped it on before continuing towards the director sitting around a coffee table with many others.

Kuroko said nothing; only frowning in a lack of comprehension of his captain's actions. Did Akashi always have such unreliable eye-sight? A tight, uneasy feeling welled up inside his chest as he slowly, made his way to the middle.

"Let's go." Akashi said quietly and rather suddenly, retracing the way they came from.

"Huh?" Kuroko could only give a rather unintelligent reply, "Already?"

"It was nothing important." Akashi replied, "Come Tetsuya, it's almost time for the meeting."

Once again, Kuroko said nothing more as he followed his captain back to the elevator.

* * *

"What you see here folks, is probably the most amazing set we've seen on this program so far!"

The sun was up high, the wind was low, birds were singing and the cameras were rolling - the weather could not be any more perfect than this day. The moment people looked outside at the water park facility, they were immediately amazed. The players were all hyped, clad in their team shirts and swim shorts as they waited in anticipation for the mini tournament to start already.

As soon as the formalities were over, they burst into cheers and shouted out their love for the sponsors for the program as scriptwriters and staff alike laughed. Such a joyous, merry atmosphere was the only way to go about starting the event.

"They sure spent a heck of a lota' money on this." Aomine said, looking the slightest bit interested and amazed despite his drowsiness.

"Now everyone, the first round will be a race against time. It will be the easiest course out of the five rounds to come, however it is vital to spend the least amount of time on this obstacle course! Now, choose your players and send them out!"

The few teams huddled together, most deciding on their most agile member to begin with. The Generation of Miracles were no exception...only, their process was _slightly _different.

"The first round is the easiest they say." Kise commented, looking back at the obstacle course. "They sure got that right."

"You shouldn't underestimate it, Kise." Midorima said, pushing up his glasses as he held a small, yellow rubber ducky in his left hand.

"So who's going first?" Mursakibara asked lazily, clearly uninterested - mainly because his snacks were taken away.

Everyone remained quiet for a moment, until Aomine yawned and began to walk away. "I'll go," he said, almost as if he was kindly offering since no-one really wanted to, "Wanna get this over and done with." he said, stretching his arms as he let out another yawn.

Everyone else followed Akashi back into the shade of their umbrella where they sat in standby whilst their chosen member was out being filmed on the course. When the starter gun went off, respective female fans for each team cheered alongside the fence of the pool, behind the the staff members. Aomine's name was quiet prominent amongst the cheers, and when and how they came all the way to this location remained a mystery.

"Oh hey look at Seirin Kurokocchi," Kise nudged Kuroko with a slight snicker, "I think Kagamicchi's mad that he wasn't sent out even though Aominecchi was."

Kuroko smiled, "Kagami-kun really is hopeless, isn't he?"

"But well, since he's not out there, Aominecchi's probably going to win this round." Kise said with a yawn, wiping away a bead of tear from the brim of his eye.

"You never know, Kise-kun." Kuroko retorted. Although, he had a feeling that Kise was right this time.

Aomine had covered almost half of the obstacle course, running over slippery beams and leaping over steaming hot water. He hadn't progressed as smoothly as he and everyone else expected him to, but it didn't matter because he was still much ahead of the other teams.

"Oh! Player Aomine has slipped, but he's still hanging onto the beam!"

From his spot in the shade, Akashi watched the race indifferently, confident that Aomine was certainly going to bring their team victory for this first round. He watched as Aomine pulled himself up and over the revolving beam, racing towards the end buzzer. He watched as the the female staff members and fans far back squealed with joy. And he watched, as a _very _familiar face stuck out of the crowd like a sore thumb. And it was then, that his gaze momentarily stopped - halted, ceased - on the retreating figure he knew all too well.

And it was then, that the debris of information floating in his mind clicked together like the pieces of a puzzle. The short message the director had told him earlier - apparently which he was meant to keep a tight lip on - and this familiar face, it was all too ridiculously simple.

"And...player Aomine from the Generation of Miracles team attains first place with an amazing record of two minutes and forty-three seconds!"

Akashi stood up, a small smirk playing on his lips as Aomine walked back looking somewhat proud of himself. When the line up for the next round was due, Kise bounced up immediately, requesting to go out. However, Akashi blocked the model from going with an arm and stepped forward, out from under the shade of the umbrella. Almost instantly, the cameras took notice and switched their film.

"What's this? It looks like the captain of the Generation of Miracles team is going up next!"

"No, I will not be participating." Akashi suddenly announced, as the level of volume on the set seemed to drop. The other teams glanced over curiously, suddenly becoming quiet.

"Akashicchi?" Kise asked, unsure what was going on.

"The Generation of Miracles team will withdraw from the mini-tournament and hereby give up all rights for acclamation of any implemented advantages."

The entire set went quiet for three whole seconds, then it burst into surprised exclamations and loud whispers. The most fussed and worked up were none other than the Generation of Miracles themselves.

"Huh!" Kise exclaimed, confused but angry, "Wait, what? Why did you suddenly withdraw us, Akashicchi?"

"That's right! You should've done so earlier before I went out!" Aomine complained, saying nothing more with a jab to the side, courtesy of Kuroko.

"Akashi?"

When Akashi spun around and promptly returned to his seat, no-one said anything more - not a single sound. Although they couldn't comprehend exactly what their captain was thinking, they knew that he was definitely planning something. Or rather, plotting something quite possibly dangerous - because not a single person standing under the shade of that umbrella had missed the dark, almost overjoyed feral smirk wiped across Akashi's face.

And it was that unfathomable expression that welled up a tight, uncomfortable feeling in Kuroko's chest. Somehow, he knew why Akashi was doing this - why he wore that look on his face. He knew exactly why, but he refused to accept it. He refused to acknowledge and dig up the countless mountains of forgotten memories still buried deep at the back of his mind.

_To be continued_

* * *

**A/N: **Amaryllis - 'Pride'

**Next chapter - **[_Snow Drop_] - The mini-tournament goes on with the withdrawal of the Generation of Miracles. Akashi's unfathomable actions have triggered Kuroko's unwanted memories of _that day_ a year ago. Kuroko revisits the past and agonizes over the decision to confront his captain to clear it all.

I really am very, very sorry for the late update! orz. I said I would update during the summer holidays which ended weeks ago, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I didn't realise how much responsibility and time the final year of high school consumed. Haha, no really. I'm currently in the middle of my mid-terms so I won't be able to update for another two weeks or so, but I promise I will see this story to the end.

Also, this is just a heads up for readers who feel as if they have many unanswered questions:

1. Yes, this story does have a pairing - the pairing you guys voted in will happen. However, as this plot does not revolve around romance or anything as such, I will be refraining from writing anything above the rating of K+ despite the current rating of T.

2. I have changed the plot around quiet a few times. I have yet again, but I hope this is the last. Regardless of how events turn out in the actual manga, it will not affect my story as the plot has already been scripted.

3. The flashback from chapter 7 (you may have to revisit that chapter to understand the confusion), _will _be explained in due time. It is quite significant in fact, and I have not forgotten about it.

If you have any other questions regarding what I have so far, I would be glad and try my best to reply to them all. Until then, ciao!


	16. Snow Drop

**Periwinkle**

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**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and unwavering support! **_Please read the A/N at the bottom for important information before you close this tab_**!  
**

* * *

_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Kuroko no basket.**

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**Chapter ****Sixteen: Snow drop**

* * *

**Recap**

_When Akashi spun around and promptly returned to his seat, no-one said anything more - not a single sound. Although they couldn't comprehend exactly what their captain was thinking, they knew that he was definitely planning something. Or rather, plotting something quite possibly dangerous - because not a single person standing under the shade of that umbrella had missed the dark, almost overjoyed feral smirk wiped across Akashi's face._

_And it was that unfathomable expression that welled up a tight, uncomfortable feeling in Kuroko's chest. Somehow, he knew why Akashi was doing this - why he wore that look on his face. He knew exactly why, but he refused to accept it. He refused to acknowledge and dig up the countless mountains of forgotten memories still buried deep at the back of his mind._

**EoR**

* * *

"Kuroko?" Midorima asked out of what seemed like nowhere, "Where are you going?"

Kuroko silently turned his head and glanced back at Midorima, staring for a second or two before answering. "To the toilet."

"Even though we are no longer qualified for this tournament, it would be wise to stay until the filming ends."

"They won't notice." Kuroko replied almost instantly, his tone more blunt than ever. He took Midorima's silence as an approval to go, in which he took the chance to, slipping out behind the shrubs.

The others paid no attention to the disappearing figure of their sixth man.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

Kuroko closed the door behind him with a soft click, walking over to his bed. Quite contrary to going to the toilet, Kuroko had already decided from the beginning that he would return to his room when he lied to Midorima. Not that he took pleasure in twisting the truth; sometimes it was just necessary.

With a sigh, he flopped down onto the bed, sprawled out over the white sheets as the soft ticking of the clock echoed throughout the room. Rolling over onto his left side, Kuroko hesitated to close his eyes, knowing fully well what he was to expect. After all, he was most likely the only person other than Akashi who knew why they were pulled out of the tournament.

Akashi's shadowed, feral grin flashed before his eyes as he closed them, the image lingering for what seemed like an eternity as a fresh memory would. Kuroko opened his eyes again, deciding he would not fall asleep at this point of time. Instead, he focused his gaze on the digital calender sitting on top of the unusual addition of a white vanity across the room.

"Akashi-kun..." Kuroko whispered, squeezing his eyes in an attempt to erase the expression he had seen. Instead, his mind overflowed with old memories resurfacing one after the other.

He suddenly recalled the desperation in his voice, the silent pleas he tried to convey through his hesitant, quivering demeanor.

___"Please...stop."_

One after another, he recalled tiny, shattered fragments of that day under the guidance of nothing but the dying wind. The way Akashi smiled to reassure him, the way everything seemed fruitless as the ground around his feet became stained with red －

_"It's not your fault, Tetsuya."_

The way he took his first step out of the peaceful, oblivious bliss － he remembered it all.

* * *

**One year ago**

_"Akashi-kun, your eye..."_

_Akashi simply smirked. There was no pain. He felt no pain. After all, he was void of such weakness. "If you look at it one way, it's a sacrifice."_

_Kuroko bit his lower lip, frowning. "Sacrifice?" _

_With warm, crimson red blood flowing down the left side of his face, Akashi leaned forward - his eyes gleaming with a new fierce determination. Kuroko stood, frozen on the spot. He wanted to run so badly - but his body wouldn't budge. _

_"You're special, Tetsuya." Akashi whispered, lips brushing against ear._

_What came next, came as a secretive whisper. A whisper;a secret only heard by Kuroko. A secret _only_ to be kept by him. A dirty little pact he felt as if he had signed with the devil. In a sense, it wasn't far from that. _

_"If I told you there was a time limit to these eyes of mine, would you believe me, Tetsuya?"_

_Kuroko held his breath as the wind died; time halted and the area around them was placed under a spell of ominous silence..._

* * *

"Geez, I really can't believe Kurokocchi just left like that!" Kise complained, pouting all the way back to the room he shared with the blue-haired boy. Aomine snickered, shrugging it off as he returned to his room.

Kise arrived at the door, noticing it was left unlocked. "Kurokocchi are you there? At least lock the door..." However when he stepped inside, he found the boy sleeping on top of the covers.

Sighing with a slight smile on his face, Kise decided to let him sleep a little longer whilst he took a shower.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

"...cchi...Kurokocchi!"

Someone was calling his name over and over again persistently. Wanting to sleep a little longer, he ignored the calls, trying to slip back into the darkness - that was, until he realised what he was doing in the first place.

_"When did I fall asleep?"_ he wondered, slowly opening his eyes to see the pouting face of Kise with a towel hanging around his neck.

"It's about time you woke up, Kurokocchi." Kise said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Kuroko sat up, blinking a few times to adjust his eyes to the light. Stretching his arms as he yawned, he looked over to Kise who had an amused expression subtly evident on his face.

"Kise-kun?"

Kise pouted, "If we don't go down now we're going miss dinner in the buffet hall. Speaking of which, why did you just disappear like that earlier?"

"On the spur of the moment, I just..." Kuroko looked down at the sheets, letting out another soft yawn. "I apologise."

"Not that it really mattered though." Kise muttered under his breath. "I think we should get going now." he said slightly louder, standing up as he threw the towel on top of a chair.

"Yes, I suppose we should."

* * *

Dinner in the buffet hall was quite rowdy to say, in which Kuroko took advantage and ate quietly whilst unnoticed and equally as silently, walked out for some fresh air. Feeling full and satisfied, Kuroko walked down to the veranda at the end of the hall. As he stepped out onto the white marble, a cool breeze welcomed him, licking his pale skin.

He had seen it all during dinner; many approached Akashi in an attempt to find out the reason for their withdrawal. However, they all received silence in reply and were sent back to their table with a stern glare. Kuroko had watched from a distance, quickly scattering away as soon as he was done eating. Deep down, he understood very well himself that he wasn't trying to be anti-social out of his own free will.

_"It's not your fault, Tetsuya."_

Emotionless words could not persuade him; petty whispers of nothingness could not convince nor shake him. Nothing would change his perspective of himself and the world around him any further. Because at the end of the day, nothing would change the past - if he were to backtrack and retrace the root of all his present uncertainties and worries, he would only find himself standing at the end of the road.

He knew what Akashi was trying to do was simply a part of his nature, in which Kuroko had ignorantly triggered that silent day one year back. Selfishly. Arrogantly. Accidentally. He was like the unwanted catalyst, triggering an unfortunate event which would only lead to an endless cycle of misfortune.

Kuroko knew he had to get his act together, because time was not going to stop for him. Nor was it going to ever since that day. Time was slipping through his fingertips like running water and he couldn't do anything about it.

**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**

_"If I told you there was a time limit to these eyes of mine, would you believe me, Tetsuya?"_

___Kuroko held his breath as the wind died; time halted and the area around them was placed under a spell of ominous silence._

___"In the near future when we no longer stand on the same court, I will lose sight of everything. Everything I can see at this very moment will be swallowed by an inevitable lurking darkness."_

___Through quivering parted lips, Kuroko found his frail voice hiding somewhere at the back of his throat. "...what are you..."_

___"That's why Tetsuya, when the time comes I will hand my everything to you. In return, you will be the towering pillar looming over my last moments."_

___**o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o**_

"Tetsuya?"_  
_

"Akashi-kun?"

One surprised, one questioning, the two stood face to face in the howling wind of night, oblivious to the noise around them. Neither uttered a word until a voice was heard coming down the hall.

"You're going to catch a cold." Akashi said quietly, unmoving.

Startled, Kuroko quickly regained his indifferent demeanor and walked past Akashi with a barely audible reply of curt obedience. Akashi remained standing, walking forward to the veranda railing. He gazed down at the shimmering surface of the pool, watching the rifts on the water as they reflected the bright, glowing stars hanging up in the night sky.

"It's really not your fault, Tetsuya." he whispered, so quietly that the barely howling wind soon took his words and carried it away into non-existence.

* * *

"Kurokocchi! Why do you keep disappearing like that?" Kise complained once he returned to their room. Kuroko stepped out of the bathroom drying his hair with a damp towel, muttering an apology.

"I found that type of atmosphere a bit suffocating." he explained out of all honesty.

"Just make sure to tell someone if you're going before you actually go, or else it's troubling." Kise said, flipping open his cellphone as he slipped under the blankets.

"Yes. I'm turning off the light." Kuroko said, switching it off before he even heard a reply.

Silence fell upon them other than the occasional rustling of Kuroko preparing to go to sleep. Kise shut his cell and placed it onto the lamp desk next to his bed.

"Say, Kurokocchi..." Kise suddenly began, speaking softly so that he wouldn't startle the other. Just when he began to think that Kuroko had already fallen asleep, he received an equally soft reply.

"Yes?"

"...I don't mean to come off as rude, but... you've been acting really weird lately."

The sheets rustled as Kuroko laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. "...weird?"

Kise frowned, oblivious to the fact himself. "I don't just mean you disappearing quite frequently lately. It's more like... you're not with us." When he received no reply, he continued, "Whenever we're talking, you seem to be preoccupied with something else inside your mind. Not just that... it feels like you're deliberately trying to create a wall between the rest of us. Akashicchi too."

"...why would you bring up Akashi-kun?" Kuroko whispered, wavering emotion non-existent in his voice.

"...know already."

Kuroko turned his head to the side, vaguely able to make out the back of Kise's head. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"...I said we all know already...that you and Akashicchi are keeping something from us. We've known for a long time now."

The usual soft ticking of the wall clock seemed to grow louder by the second as the deafening silence amplified its gradually dominating presence. The sheets rustled a few more times, until a soft whisper was heard.

"I'm sorry."

Kise wanted to get up, face Kuroko directly and ask why he was offering an apology instead of an explanation. Instead, he chose to remain where he was, biting back a hurtful retort. He knew that both Kuroko and Akashi had their reasons to keep them in the dark like this. He knew they didn't mean to cause what he was feeling. He knew, but he couldn't help it.

"No, I... never mind. Goodnight." Kise whispered.

Kuroko did not reply, hoping that he was thought to have fallen asleep already. However, his eyes wouldn't remain shut, and it was just too hard to fall asleep. He had slept plenty in the afternoon so it came as no surprise. However he could not deny the guilt biting back at him with every repeat of Kise's words.

If not knowing was a crime, then knowing would be a punishment - because there was simply no existing passive approach to convey the knowledge that Kuroko held.

The knowledge, that the day Kuroko obtained Akashi's everything - his victory - would be the day that their captain loses his vision to the likes of a genetic disease.

_To be continued_

* * *

**A/N: **Snow Drop - 'Consolation'

_**Next chapter - **[Elderflower] -_ The mini-tournament is over and everyone is back to the isolated forest set. With only a few more days until the finals, the program is about to come to an end. However, before any of this happens, trouble brews about when peculiar rumours fly around concerning another surprise team equal in rivalry to the Generation of Miracles. In addition to this, another rumour of Kuroko being dropped from the team is flying around.

_Things learnt from this chapter - Akashi is losing his eyesight to a genetic disease and plotting something in which all at the same time, Kuroko is blaming himself for one reason or another. (This chapter was not planned out and typed up spontaneously on the spot, so it may be lacking. Please read for more info.)  
_

I really am sorry for not updating for gosh, well over a month? School really does take a lot out of my time and motivation to write. As much as I love Kuroko no Basket, I think I'm currently obsessed with the Hetalia fandom right now. Not to worry though, I am going to see this to the end.

On another note, I just need to tell you guys something very important. I kinda, um... lost all my documents and other files due to a virus of some sort, and I didn't have them backed up. So my planned out storyline kinda disappeared too, so I'm remaking the entire thing from scratch to make sure I'm not missing out on any details. If anyone has the time to, it would be absolutely very helpful if you could re-read this story and tell me what (you think) it's about so far and what you understand and what you don't (it can be very generic, as long as it's from your personal perspective as a reader!).

Please let me know if you're willing to do so, as it would save me a lot of time and memory-digging. As soon as I get a good grasp of the story to the end, I will update!


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